Interior with Peasant Woman Peeling Potatoes 1885

Editor: So here we have Van Gogh's "Interior with Peasant Woman Peeling Potatoes," a charcoal drawing from 1885. It has a very somber, almost oppressive feel to it, and it's the roughness of the charcoal, I think, that makes it so… stark. What strikes you about this work? Curator: I see a keen interest in documenting the physical labor of the peasant class. Notice how Van Gogh uses charcoal not just to depict the woman, but to highlight the textures of her clothes, the roughly hewn furniture, even the potatoes themselves. This elevates the act of peeling potatoes to something worthy of artistic attention. Editor: I guess I hadn't thought about the potatoes themselves as having importance beyond being a simple still-life element. Are you suggesting that Van Gogh’s choice of charcoal connects directly to the subject matter? Curator: Absolutely. The materiality of charcoal, derived from burnt wood, subtly evokes the hardships and resourcefulness of rural life. It’s a far cry from, say, oil paint, which was traditionally reserved for more elevated subjects. Van Gogh is making a statement about what and who is worthy of representation, what materials are equally relevant for depiction. Do you think that affects our understanding of the piece? Editor: It completely changes the context for me! It moves away from just being a portrait of a woman doing chores. It's actually emphasizing the importance of her work, and making a statement about class through something as simple as charcoal. Curator: Precisely. It reveals how seemingly mundane materials and processes can hold profound social and political meaning. I'd even go so far as to ask what are Van Gogh’s motivations when creating this work, given his background, is he further appropriating labour from the sitter? Editor: It makes you think about where art materials come from and how the artist uses them. I'll definitely consider materials more carefully from now on! Curator: As will I; those closing comments definitely shed some light on other dimensions in this drawing.