Cart with Red and White Ox 1884

Editor: Here we have Van Gogh's "Cart with Red and White Ox," painted in 1884. It's an oil painting that feels heavy, grounded, even somber. What stands out to you in this depiction of rural labor? Curator: I immediately see a study of labor. The materials—oil paint thickly applied with an impasto technique—mirror the subject: the physicality of farm work, the strain on the animal, the crudeness of the cart. Van Gogh isn’t just depicting a scene, he’s showing us the *making* of a livelihood, isn't he? How the ox is essentially raw material for generating economic survival? Editor: That makes sense. I hadn't considered the impasto as a deliberate reflection of physical effort. The cart itself also looks pretty roughly made. Curator: Exactly. Consider the cart's construction, the joining of wood. Is it finely crafted or utilitarian? Van Gogh isn't glorifying pastoral life; rather, he’s presenting the unvarnished reality: the constant material demands. What would you say that the relationship is of labor, value, and visibility in this work? Editor: It definitely pushes me to think beyond just seeing a pretty landscape. I realize it is not about beauty but really about work. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure. Paying attention to materials opens up an avenue to examine social realities deeply embedded within the artistic practices and traditions. It prompts crucial discussions about power, value, and representation.