The Sower Outskirts of Arles in the Background 1888

Curator: Here we see Vincent van Gogh's "The Sower Outskirts of Arles in the Background," completed in 1888. Notice the visible brushstrokes, almost like furrows themselves. Editor: Yes, there’s an urgency in the materiality. The heavy impasto—that thick, unblended paint—seems to physically embody the act of sowing, of labor. But, what a melancholic feeling overall given the color choices! Curator: Indeed, it is hard to ignore the symbolic power here, given the choice of figure and the field and city context as a visual shorthand of humanity’s struggle. Editor: Right, but what about the real struggle of those manual labors, the bodies doing the backbreaking sowing? It's pretty apparent that labor here in this context, isn’t as much romantic, but just is as grueling. The contrast between the thick materiality in the foreground and the haziness in the industrial background highlights that. Curator: It certainly calls attention to that historical tension. Yet, don't you think the sower becomes an almost biblical figure, a conduit, even? This figure of sowing is so ancient that it embodies generations of human life and knowledge in constant relation with the natural cycle. Editor: Perhaps, though it's hard for me to detach that idea from the material conditions surrounding farm labor at that time. Are we projecting our contemporary interpretations onto this? Did the local laborers share Van Gogh’s aesthetic experience of it? Probably not. I would bet most found that existence rather brutal. Curator: Well, art gives space for all these perspectives. The symbolism is obviously not separate from the reality of physical work, even as it invites different levels of interpretation. Editor: So in a way, art has given us a lens for seeing the many aspects involved in this process of producing a symbolic representation of life in 1888! Curator: Precisely. Editor: Absolutely, making it an interesting topic when diving deeper into Van Gogh's techniques!