“Coalmine in the Borinage,” crafted by Vincent van Gogh in 1879 during his stay in Cuesmes, Belgium, is a cityscape executed in pencil, watercolor, and paper, embodying the Realism art movement. Currently housed in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the artwork provides a poignant depiction of the industrial landscape.
The artwork portrays a somber mining town, with factory buildings, smoking chimneys, and mounds of coal dominating the skyline, which evoke the harsh and labor-intensive atmosphere of the Borinage region. In the foreground, a solitary figure adds a human element to the otherwise industrial scene, emphasizing the scale of the industrial structures compared to human presence. The earthy color palette and the fine, delicate strokes of pencil and watercolor effectively communicate a realistic and somewhat melancholic mood, reflecting the arduous life in a coal mining district during the late 19th century.
