The works of Van Gogh are among other justly famous for the vivid use of color by the artist. Indeed, from his famous Sunflowers to “The Night Café” and Wheatfield with Crows”, the use of strong colors throughout is defining for his work. Yet, if one looks at the early works of Van Gogh were not dominated by such strong colors. Rather, in the period 1883 – 1886 when Van Gogh was just beginning to paint using oil colors, his work was more dominated by dark and somber earthy tones. His main subject in this period was the peasants of the Dutch countryside and the hard life they led. Van Gogh wanted to portray this life and contrast it with the life emerging in the cities.
The main work of this period is also a good example of Van Gogh paintings during this period. Thus, “The Potato Eaters” from 1885 shows a group of peasants sitting together in the evening having some food. The colors are dark, the people unattractive and the realism of the scene uncanny. The earthy tones of this period of work certainly dominate the painting. The subject focus is on the peasant life and its hardships, as was indeed general for the period.
Van Gogh also produced some other works of note during this period. This includes works life “Still Life with Straw Hat and Pipe” as well as “Skull of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette”, both of which we have previously discussed on this blog. They all exemplify the early mastery of Van Gogh, yet as we know now, there was so much more to come.
