Farmhouse in a Wheat Field 1888

Vincent van Gogh made this painting, “Farmhouse in a Wheat Field”, using oil on canvas. The very thick application of paint across the canvas is known as impasto. Look closely, and you'll see how the brushstrokes themselves model the wheat field in the foreground, the rough bark of the trees on the right side, and even the puffy clouds above. Van Gogh used this technique to capture the intensity of the light and the texture of the landscape. In doing so, he’s made the very materiality of paint, normally a means to an end, into the work’s most important quality. The tactile nature of the painting also highlights the immense physical labor that went into its creation. We get a sense of Van Gogh working tirelessly in the fields, toiling away in the fields along with the farmers who lived and worked there. In this way, Van Gogh’s process, rooted in everyday life, becomes a powerful means of expression, challenging traditional distinctions between art and labor.