The artwork titled “Peasant Woman, Planting Beets” is a piece authored by Vincent van Gogh in 1885 while he was residing in Nuenen, Netherlands. Rendered using chalk on paper, this sketch belongs to the Realism art movement and serves as a preparatory study. Currently, the artwork is housed at the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The artwork depicts a peasant woman engrossed in the laborious task of planting beets. The woman is shown in a bent position, meticulously placing the seeds into the ground. Her clothing, traditional for a peasant, is rendered with substantial detail, showing the rough texture of her attire, which suggests the daily rigor of her life. Nearby, farming tools are visible, emphasizing the agrarian context and hard work associated with such rural settings. The use of chalk brings out the roughness of her hands and the earth, reinforcing the physicality and authenticity of the labor depicted. The simplicity and directness of the drawing reflect the core principles of the Realism movement, focusing on the honest portrayal of life and work.
