The artwork titled “A Man with a Broom” was created by the renowned Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh in 1881. Crafted using chalk and watercolor on paper, this piece measures 27.5 by 55 centimeters and is housed in the Kröller-Müller Museum located in Otterlo, Netherlands. The work was produced in the artist’s home country of the Netherlands and is attributed to the Realism movement as a genre painting, offering a glimpse into everyday life during that time.
The artwork captures a solitary figure, a man standing and holding a broom. The man is portrayed in a realistic manner, with attention given to the details of his attire and posture, evoking the working-class subject matter typical of the Realist movement. His clothing suggests labor, with a sturdy coat and hat, and his stance suggests a moment of pause or contemplation. The clothing and facial features are rendered with expressive, deft strokes, while the use of shadow and light adds depth and texture to the composition. Van Gogh’s choice of media, chalk and watercolor, affords the piece a degree of immediacy and intimacy, capturing a moment in the life of an ordinary person with both sensitivity and dignity.
