The artwork “Peasant Woman with Broom,” created by Vincent van Gogh in 1885 in Nuenen, Netherlands, exemplifies the Realism art movement. Crafted with chalk on paper, this sketch and study are housed in the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, Netherlands. The piece captures a segment of van Gogh’s exploration of peasant life, a common theme in his early works.
The artwork portrays a woman, depicted from a rear three-quarters perspective, engaged in the laborious task of sweeping. The use of chalk lends a raw texture, emphasizing the roughness and humility of her attire and surroundings. The woman’s bent posture and the heavy folds of her clothing communicate a sense of toil and perseverance. Detailing is minimal, yet the lines are expressive, conveying motion and the physicality of her task. Through simple yet poignant representation, van Gogh encapsulates the dignity and resilience embedded in the ordinary moments of rural life.
