À propos de l’œuvre
Paysans plantant des pommes de terre, par Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh · August -September 1884 · Nuenen, Netherlands
Farmers planting potatoes, F41Reproduction of oil painting on canvas
Seven farmers spread out in an immense field under a pale sky. The curved bodies, tools and repeated gestures transform the planting of potatoes into a frieze of rural work.
Look at the work
Seven figures aligned across the width of the field
In the foreground, four adults lean over the furrows, each in a different pose. A small figure carries a basket in the center, while two more distant workers extend the scene towards the horizon.
The very elongated format leaves little room for the sky. Strips of green-brown earth extend from one edge to the other and give the figures a monumental scale despite their bare environment.
Peasants planting potatoes F41/JH513 is an oil on canvas measuring 66.4 × 149.6 cm, painted in Nuenen in August - September 1884. It is kept at the Kroeller-Müller Museum under number KM 105.684.
Composition, touch and color
Three observations specific to this painting
Van Gogh adapts his subject to a decorative project. The exceptional width allows several phases of the work to be shown, but the composition remains deliberately harsh: each figure has its own rhythm and its own space.
The curved bodies form a cadence
The silhouettes repeat themselves without being identical. The backs, legs and tools create a series of diagonals which enliven the horizontality of the terrain.
The small basket carrier marks the center
Its vertical body contrasts with leaning adults. This change in posture establishes a breathing point in the middle of the long frieze.
The landscape remains almost abstract
The strips of the field and the sky do not contain any picturesque details. They focus all attention on the work of the seven characters.
Documented benchmarks
Precisely identify the original work
The Kroeller-Müller Museum explains Antoon Hermans' commission and the role of this scene in a cycle of six subjects devoted to the seasons and peasant work.
A decor for Antoon Hermans' dining room
The retired jeweler and amateur painter asked Van Gogh for six models of rural scenes which he planned to copy himself on the walls of his house.
From two characters to seven
A first sketch only provided for two figures. At the request of Hermans, Van Gogh widened the scene and ultimately depicted seven people at work.
Planting symbolizes spring
In the decorative program, sowing, harvesting, plowing and winter work were to evoke the cycle of the seasons; planting potatoes corresponds to spring.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
The reproduction must retain the seven figures, the variety of their gestures, the small basket bearer, the long bands of the field and the very narrow yellow-gray sky.
- The four bent workers in the foreground
- The little vertical figure with his basket
- The two distant silhouettes
- Tools and furrows indicated by lines
- The unusual panoramic format
Work sheet
| Title | Farmers planting potatoes, F41 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890) |
| Date | August-september 1884 |
| Place of creation | Nuenen, Netherlands |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 66.4 × 149.6 cm |
| Inventory | F41 · JH513 · KM 105.684 |
| Conservation | Kroeller-Müller Museum, Otterlo |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
From order to shipping
In your interior
A large rural frieze in ocher, earth green and pale yellow
The panoramic format naturally finds its place above a sofa, a sideboard, a table or in a wide corridor. Its muted palette is suitable for raw wood, stone and natural textiles.
Frequently asked questions
Before ordering
Is this a canvas print?
No. Each reproduction is manually painted in oil on canvas. Brushstrokes and material variations belong to the final result.
How is the visual reference chosen?
The reference of 3876 × 1740 px has been reduced to 3000 × 1347 px and converted to true high definition WebP.
Can I check the result before shipping?
Yes. Photographs of the finished painting are sent to you; you can request alterations before validating the shipment.
Are custom formats possible?
Yes. The format can be adapted to your wall while maintaining the proportions and balance of the original composition.
