Head of a Peasant Woman in a Green Shawl 1885

Here in Lyon, you’re standing before Van Gogh's unsettling "Head of a Peasant Woman in a Green Shawl." The painting's power lies not in conventional beauty, but in its raw, almost brutal honesty. Notice how the heavy, dark shawl frames the woman's face, drawing our eye to her intense gaze. The face itself is a study in earthy tones, built up with thick, expressive brushstrokes. Van Gogh uses color to convey emotion, the ochre and browns of her skin suggesting a life weathered by hardship, while the green shawl provides a stark contrast. There’s an interesting tension here, the contrast between the rough texture of the paint and the vulnerability in the woman's eyes. Van Gogh isn’t just painting a portrait; he’s capturing a psychological state, a sense of human struggle. The painting challenges us to look beyond the surface, to see the dignity and humanity in a face marked by life's challenges.