Reaper 1885

Vincent van Gogh made this drawing, "Reaper," with chalk and graphite on paper, capturing the strenuous labor of a rural worker. Van Gogh often depicted laborers, drawn to the dignity and hardship of their lives. Here, the figure is bent low, almost disappearing into the wheat field. This posture, combined with the title, invites reflection on mortality and the human condition, connecting the act of harvesting with the inevitable reaping of life itself. Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo, expressing his deep connection to the land and its people, viewing them as symbols of life's cycles. This representation moves beyond mere depiction, and is invested with a sense of empathy. The drawing serves as a poignant meditation on the cyclical nature of existence, where labor and life are intertwined, and death is a natural part of the rhythm. It is an intimate, existential reflection.