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The first masterpiece: The potato eaters

    Hard farm life

    Vincent makes the choice in Nuenen to use the daily, hard life of peasants and weavers as a starting point for his painting.
    His stay in Nuenen is one of the most important and productive periods of his life. From December 1883 to November 1885 he produces a quarter of his total oeuvre.

    No fewer than 24 buildings and landscapes recall his stay in Nuenen; 14 of them were painted or drawn by him. Some landscapes in the immediate vicinity still exude the atmosphere of his time.

    Family de Groot

    During Vincent's time in Nuenen , the De Groot family lives in a farmhouse next to mill De Roosdonck. He spends a lot of time with them, painting and drawing them. They are studies to arrive at his first great masterpiece: The Potato Eaters. The painting shows the De Groot family around a steaming dish of potatoes, and cups of coffee. After all the preliminary studies, he paints this extensive group portrait in his studio at Schafrath in April and May 1885.

    The Potato Eaters

    With a large piece of several figures, Van Gogh hopes to prove himself to the outside world. For months he practices painting portraits, hands, the interior. Even clock and cutlery: dozens of studies precede The Potato Eaters. Satisfied with the result himself, Vincent considers The Potato Eaters his first full-fledged work, but his brother Theo and artist friend Anthon van Rappard are highly critical of the work.

    The Potato Eaters

    Potato Eater House

    The cottage where the de Groot family lived is still there. It stands near mill De Roosdonck. You'll pass here if you use the booklet Op Pad met Vincent, or if you walk the Nuenen edition of the Van Gogh Nationaal Park walk.

    Walking route Nuenen Van Gogh Nationaal Park
    With a large piece of multiple figures, Van Gogh hopes to prove himself to the outside world. For months he practices painting portraits, hands, the interior. Even clock and cutlery: dozens of studies precede The Potato Eaters. He is satisfied with the result himself. Vincent considers The Potato Eaters his first full-fledged work. But his brother Theo and the artist friend Anthon van Rappard are highly critical of the work.

    "In reality,I see effects every day in the gloomy huts against the light or at night in the twilight, which are so curious that until now my work seems too light for the effects in question .

    letter 506, Vincent Van Gogh to Theo van Gogh

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