The Bakery in de Geest 1882

Vincent van Gogh made this drawing of a bakery in The Hague with pen and ink. Though he’s now famous for his vivid colors, here, he uses simple lines to capture a moment in the streets of the Netherlands. The drawing shows a slice of daily life; some figures seem to be doing business, while another waits outside. Made at a time of great change in Europe, this image is neither celebratory nor critical of its society. Instead, it presents everyday life as it was. Van Gogh, at this time, was funded by his brother Theo who worked at Goupil & Cie, a business that sold art. Art historians might look at the archives of Goupil & Cie to find out how the art market in the Netherlands at the time shaped the kinds of images that artists made. The meaning of this image emerges from understanding that history.