The artwork titled “Silhouette of a Man with a Rake” is attributed to Vincent van Gogh and dates back to circa 1885, created in Nuenen, Netherlands. Executed in ink on paper, this piece falls under the Post-Impressionism art movement and is categorized as a sketch and study. Currently, the artwork is housed in the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, Netherlands.
The artwork presents a dark, shadowy figure of a man holding a rake, distinguished primarily by the stark contrast between the ink and the paper’s surface. Despite the simplicity of the medium, the figure’s posture and movement are clearly perceptible, indicative of van Gogh’s skill in conveying human form and motion with minimal detail. The silhouette approach effectively utilizes negative space, creating an evocative and dynamic representation that captures a moment of rural life. The loose, expressive lines imbue the figure with a sense of both immediacy and timelessness, characteristic of van Gogh’s exploratory sketches and studies.
