“Enclosed Field with Ploughman,” created by Vincent van Gogh in 1889 in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, is a fine example of Post-Impressionism. Executed with ink on paper, this sketch and study is housed in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The artwork depicts a dynamic rural scene with a ploughman and a horse, diligently working in a field. Van Gogh’s characteristic swirling brushstrokes vividly animate the earth, capturing the movement and life within the landscape. The sky, painted in turbulent, rhythmic strokes, contrasts starkly with the dark, richly textured field below, suggesting a dialogue between the heavens and the land. At the horizon, a small dwelling is nestled under a vibrant, swirling sun, adding a tranquil element to the otherwise active composition. Trees to the left provide a vertical counterbalance to the horizontal expanse of the farmland. The overall impression is one of both laboriousness and serenity, enveloping the viewer in the quiet dedication of rural toil.
