The artwork “Peasant Woman, Tossing Hay, Seen from the Back,” created by Vincent van Gogh in 1885 in Nuenen, Netherlands, is a chalk drawing on paper housed in the Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands. This creation falls within the Realism movement and is categorized as a sketch and study.
The artwork depicts a peasant woman engaged in the laborious task of tossing hay; her back is turned to the viewer, her movements captured with fluid yet deliberate strokes of chalk. Dressed in simple attire that reflects her rural life, the folds of her skirt and sleeves are meticulously rendered, conveying a sense of texture and motion. The confidence in Van Gogh’s linework draws attention to both the physicality of the woman’s labor and the rustic environment she’s part of, making the observer almost feel the weight of the hay and the rhythm of her movements. The backdrop, although indistinct, provides a context suggesting hard work and rural tranquility. This study is a testament to Van Gogh’s keen observation of everyday life and his ability to immortalize the humble existence of the peasantry in his art.
