Peasant Digging 1890

Vincent van Gogh created 'Peasant Digging' using graphite. Van Gogh’s deep empathy for the working class, which was rooted in his own experiences with poverty and his desire to serve others, profoundly shaped his artistic vision. In this period, rural laborers existed at the fringes of a rapidly industrializing society. Van Gogh's decision to portray such a figure was both an act of bearing witness and of social commentary. We see the figure bent over, their body contorted by labor. This posture speaks volumes about the physical toll of agricultural work, the relentless demands it placed on the body, and the deeply human struggle for survival. In his own words, Van Gogh wanted to paint the peasants “as if they were in the same material as the soil they were digging.” This work prompts us to consider how labor, identity, and representation intersect. It invites us to recognize the shared humanity that lies beneath the surface of social hierarchies.