The artwork, titled “Peasant Woman, Kneeling with Chopper,” was created by Vincent van Gogh in 1885 while he was in Nuenen, Netherlands. This piece, executed in chalk on paper, belongs to the Realism art movement and is categorized as a sketch and study. Currently, it is housed in the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, Netherlands.
The artwork depicts a peasant woman kneeling on the ground, wielding a chopper in her hands. The woman is dressed in modest, practical clothing, indicative of her peasant status, and the overall composition exudes a sense of labor and toil. The monochromatic use of chalk highlights the somber, realistic portrayal of rural life, emphasizing the physical effort involved in her task. The folds in her clothing and the details of her posture reveal van Gogh’s meticulous study of human figures engaged in everyday activities. The background is kept minimal, drawing the viewer’s focus entirely to the woman’s form and her engrossed action.
