Head of a Woman 1884

Van Gogh rendered this "Head of a Woman" using humble materials: paper and graphite pencil. It’s a straightforward medium, one that has a directness that allows for the artist's hand to be ever-present. The marks are raw and immediate, with visible hatching and cross-hatching building up the form. The image is not highly refined; the lines are used to capture the essence of the sitter, rather than being overly concerned with exact representation. There's a palpable sense of labor and the artist’s focus on this woman. The stark realism and concentration on the sitter's features, eschewing idealization, brings the working class into art's purview. Van Gogh's choice of materials and his methods democratize art, focusing on the dignity of labor and lived experience. It reminds us that art can be found in the everyday, and in the process of making itself.