Peasant Lifting Potatoes 1885

Vincent van Gogh created this drawing of a peasant lifting potatoes with graphite on paper. Van Gogh had a deep and abiding respect for the working class, particularly those who labored on the land. His decision to focus on the peasant class was deeply influenced by the social and political climate of the late 19th century, where there was a growing interest in the lives and struggles of ordinary people, yet, they were rarely the focus of fine art. Van Gogh, sensitive to the cultural and class dynamics, chooses to represent the peasant not just as a worker, but as a figure of dignity and humanity. Van Gogh once wrote, "One must undertake with confidence, with a certain assurance that one is doing a reasonable thing, like the peasant who drives his plow." Here the figure is nearly faceless, bent over in labor, yet the simple act of lifting potatoes is elevated to a symbol of resilience, and is imbued with a quiet, persistent dignity.