The artwork, “Peasant Boy,” created by Vincent van Gogh in 1885 in Nuenen, Netherlands, exemplifies the Realism art movement. This piece, rendered in chalk on paper, constitutes a sketch and study genre and resides currently in the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, Netherlands.
In this artwork, van Gogh depicts a young peasant boy, captured in a moment of repose. The boy’s figure is rendered with rough, expressive lines that convey a sense of weight and presence. The use of chalk on paper results in a textured, tactile quality, emphasizing the rudimentary aspects of the boy’s attire and posture. The somber, contemplative mood of the piece is indicative of the artist’s focus on portraying the realities of peasant life with unembellished authenticity. The boy’s downward gaze and slouched shoulders evoke a sense of fatigue or introspection, offering insight into the harsh and humble existence characteristic of rural labor in the late 19th century.
