The Spinner (after Millet) 1889

Vincent van Gogh made this painting, The Spinner, after Millet, using oil on canvas. It depicts a woman seated at a spinning wheel, a traditional symbol of domestic labor. Painted in the late 1880s in France, it's part of a series where Van Gogh reinterpreted works by Jean-François Millet. Millet's art often focused on rural life and the dignity of labor, reflecting the social realities of 19th-century France, where the Industrial Revolution was transforming society. Van Gogh's interest in Millet reveals his own deep engagement with social issues and his respect for the working class. However, Van Gogh's expressive brushwork and color palette bring a different emotional intensity to the scene. To fully understand this painting, we can look at the letters between Van Gogh and his brother Theo, and consider the art criticism of the time, which can give us a richer understanding of its historical and cultural meaning. This helps us appreciate art not just as aesthetic objects, but as products of specific social and institutional forces.