Sower with Setting Sun 1888

Vincent van Gogh's "Sower with Setting Sun" is a pen and ink drawing made with brown ink on paper. The choice of materials, while traditional, speaks volumes. Van Gogh created this work in 1888, a time when industrialization was rapidly changing the landscape of labor. Look closely, and you will see how each mark of the pen contributes to the overall scene. The repetitive strokes used to depict the field, the wheat, and the sky capture the toil and rhythm of agricultural work. The sower, a lone figure against the setting sun, embodies the physical labor of sowing seeds by hand. This act, rendered with such care, elevates it beyond mere representation. It is a commentary on labor. The drawing is infused with the artist's deep empathy for the working class. In choosing simple materials like pen and ink, Van Gogh avoids the pretension of high art, grounding his work in the everyday realities of life and labor.