Three Hands, Two with Knives 1884

Vincent van Gogh made this drawing, "Three Hands, Two with Knives," using graphite or charcoal on paper. This choice of material is significant, as drawing is fundamental, immediate, and economical, offering direct insight into the artist's process of visualizing and understanding form. The marks are decisive and repetitive, building up areas of tone to create volume, particularly around the knuckles and the palms. The use of hatching and cross-hatching shows us the artist’s hand, and the hand that he is trying to represent. It’s as if the artist is showing us the sheer labor of making. More than simply sketches, these studies of hands holding knives point to the social realities of labor and craft. Van Gogh elevates these working hands to a subject worthy of artistic exploration. By focusing on hands – tools for creation – he underscores the value of manual work. It's a challenge to the traditional hierarchy separating fine art from the so-called ‘lesser’ crafts.