Head of a Woman 1885

This is Vincent van Gogh’s sketch, "Head of a Woman." The lines of the drawing are etched with a certain empathy, characteristic of van Gogh’s early work which often featured laborers and the working class. Van Gogh had a deep connection to the lives of ordinary people and the struggles they faced. Here the artist depicts an aging woman, her face marked by time and hardship. Her eyes, though downcast, hold a quiet dignity. The shawl and head covering speak to a life lived without excess, possibly as a rural peasant. The artwork stands as a meditation on the experiences of women within the 19th-century labor force. The artist neither romanticizes nor sensationalizes her, but depicts her with a raw and unflinching honesty. Her presence in the frame is a testament to her resilience. She is a reminder of the often unseen labor that sustains communities, a tribute to those who persevere despite hardship.