Fishing boats on the beach at Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer 1888

Vincent van Gogh painted Fishing boats on the beach at Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer during his stay in the south of France in 1888, a period marked by his quest for community and artistic innovation. Here, we see the artist’s exploration of color and form, the boats rendered in vibrant hues that contrast against the sandy shore and turbulent sky. Van Gogh's move to Arles was in part motivated by his desire to engage with the working class and rural communities. Fishing, then as now, was a profession deeply tied to identity and survival. The painting reflects not only Van Gogh’s personal search for connection, but also the broader societal shifts of the late 19th century, where industrialization threatened traditional ways of life. As Van Gogh himself wrote to his brother Theo: "I want to paint men and women with that something of the eternal which the halo used to symbolize". Through his emotional rendering of the boats at Les Saintes-Maries, Van Gogh elevates everyday life to the realm of the spiritual, asking us to consider the shared human experiences that bind us together.