Peasant with Sickle, Seen from the Back 1885

This is Vincent van Gogh's sketch of a peasant with a sickle, a piece reflecting the social realities of 19th-century rural life. Van Gogh, deeply moved by the plight of the working class, often depicted laborers to highlight their dignity and struggle. The artwork is a commentary on the social hierarchy of the time, where the labor of the peasantry was both essential and undervalued. The peasant, seen from the back, could be anyone—anonymous, yet representative of a whole class of people whose identities were often subsumed by their work. Van Gogh once said, "One must work and dare if one really wants to live." He was interested in revealing the hard work and realities of the rural worker. Here, Van Gogh does not romanticize rural labor but portrays it with empathy, showing the physical burden and relentless nature of this work. It is an acknowledgement and honoring of those whose lives were defined by the land and their toil. The sketch invites us to consider the lives and labor that underpin societal structures.