À propos de l’œuvre
Les Mangeurs de pommes de terre, par Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh · April - May 1885 · Nuenen
Potato Eaters, F82Reproduction of oil painting on canvas
Five farmers share potatoes and coffee under a single lamp: Van Gogh builds his first large composition around faces, hands and deliberately rough light.
Look at the work
The evening meal as a manifesto of peasant life
The De Groot family is gathered in their small house in Nuenen. Four characters look towards the smoking dish or towards their loved ones; the young woman seen from behind closes the circle around the table. The hands that grab the apples earth and pour coffee are as important as faces.
A hanging kerosene lamp creates an island of greenish light. Walls, clothing and flesh remain in a range of earth, soot and ocher. Van Gogh refuses idealization: he wants to show people who have worked the land and are eating the product of their own labor.
The culmination of numerous studies of heads, hands and interiors, F82 is the most ambitious work of Nuenen's period and the first painting that Van Gogh considers a true personal masterpiece.
Composition, touch and color
Three observations specific to this painting
The composition is prepared by dozens of studies and lithography. Its unity comes less from academic drawing than from the circle of gestures and light.
A circle of hands
The arms and hands lead the gaze of the potato dish towards the coffee maker, cups and faces, giving the meal its silent rhythm.
A smoky light
The lamp does not whiten anything: it diffuses yellow-green colors and leaves the edges of the room in thick darkness.
The color of the earth
Brown, green, black and ocher bring the figures closer to their clothing, furniture and the potatoes they have grown.
Documented benchmarks
Precisely identify the original work
Inventory s0005V1962 and references F82/JH764 designate the final large version, and not the studies or the two preliminary compositions.
The De Groot family
Van Gogh works in their house and carries out numerous studies to make physiognomies, gestures and meals credible.
A real painting of peasants
He wants the painting to evoke the smoke, bacon and steam of potatoes rather than an elegant rural scene.
Studies and lithography
Before the final canvas, he draws the heads and hands, paints several sketches and creates a lithograph of the composition.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Reproduction must respect the darkness and subtle differences between brown, green and ocher. Lightening faces or smoothing hands would cause the painting to lose its strength.
- The kerosene lamp and its green-yellow halo
- The steaming dish in the center of the table
- The five faces shaped by low light
- Bony hands grabbing the meal
- The young woman from behind who closes the composition
Work sheet
| Title | Potato Eaters, F82 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890) |
| Date | April - May 1885 |
| Place of creation | Nuenen |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 82 × 114 cm |
| Inventory | Van Gogh Museum s0005V1962· F82· JH764 |
| Conservation | Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
From order to shipping
In your interior
A serious, dense and deeply human work
The panoramic format is suitable for a dining room, a library or an interior with natural materials. The dark palette matches raw wood, tobacco brown, olive green and stone.
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 official image of the Van Gogh Museum was reduced to 3,000 × 2,116 px and then converted into a real WebP, without artificial enlargement.
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.
