The Thresher (after Millet) 1889

Vincent van Gogh painted The Thresher, after Millet, using oil on canvas. Though traditional fine art materials, the thickness with which he applied the paint is far from academic, imbuing the artwork with a tangible, almost sculptural quality. Van Gogh chose a subject that spoke to his socialist sympathies. Threshing was hard agricultural labor, separating the grain from the straw, often done by hand. You can feel the weight of the thresher's tool in this image, and see the backbreaking toil that would be required to feed a family. Though the painting is based on a print by Millet, Van Gogh's expressive brushstrokes transform the image into a visceral depiction of working-class struggle. By drawing our attention to the labor involved in the production of something as basic as bread, van Gogh elevates the act of threshing to the level of high art. In doing so, he challenges us to consider the social and economic conditions that shape our world, and to appreciate the value of all forms of labor, artistic or otherwise.