Vincent Van Gogh's Death

Have you ever seen someone with a cry for help in their eyes? Have you had to earn your food and live at or below the poverty level? Vincent Van Gogh did as a child and basically throughout his entire adult life as well. He portrays a scene of the harsh reality of a poverty stricken family in a dark, authentic painting called The Potato Eaters. This famous painting by Vincent Van Gogh was painted in April 1885 in The Netherlands. It is known has his very first masterpiece and one of his most magnificent paintings although it did not become famous until after his death like many of his works of art. Just as most of Van Gogh’s paintings, it is painted on a canvas in oil paint. The painting consists of modern art and realism. The Potato Eaters

Throughout his life, he remained poor and unknown despite the fact of being a very talented artist. He did not become absolutely famous until after his death. According to Nathalie Heinich (1996) in her book “The Glory of Van Gogh”, “But it is not enough to tell how the Van Gogh who died in 1890 became the Van Gogh celebrated in the 1990s.” (pg. 1). It is not evident as to why he became extremely famous after his death but it is a known fact. As a child, he was not very wealthy, or anywhere close really. Due to his own personal experience, Van Gogh shows an ample amount of emotion and detail in the painting. Every aspect of the piece expresses a poor, malnourished family living just trying to get through each

It is evident from the background of the painting that it is a small house and does not consists of a lot. The edges of the table are weathered and there are low dark rafters on the ceiling. It is mostly a plain and boring backdrop which indicates that it is the actual residence of the five figures presented in the painting. The brown, earthy colors give a sense of a dusty room. Maybe the reasoning for this is, potatoes are dusty and dull from being buried in the dirt. The title of this piece is more than just talking about what they are eating at their kitchen table. The single light vibrating from the oil lamp above the table makes the viewer’s eyes focus on the five figures, the tabletop and the scarce dinner being consumed by their skinny malnourished bodies. Although the room and shadows are dark, the emotions from the piece shine out bright and