Peasant Woman, Seated 1885

This painting, by Vincent van Gogh, captures a peasant woman, seated, with oil on canvas. Van Gogh was deeply interested in the lives of working people, and here, he really emphasizes the materiality of her existence. Look at the way he's built up the paint. It’s not just about depicting her; it's about the labor involved in making the image, almost mirroring the labor of the sitter. The thick brushstrokes give a real sense of weight and texture, as though the paint itself is a kind of earth or clay. The dark palette speaks to a life lived close to the land, in the fields, under the sun. Even the way she holds her hands, clasped tightly, suggests a life of hard work. Van Gogh, though from a middle-class background himself, saw something noble in this way of life, and his application of paint becomes a kind of tribute. It elevates her status, dignifies her. So next time you look at a painting, don’t just see the image, consider the making.