“Sketches for the Drawing of an Auction” is an artwork created in 1885 by Vincent van Gogh during his time in Nuenen, Netherlands. The medium employed in this piece is chalk on paper. Representing the Realism art movement within the sketch and study genre, the artwork is housed in the Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands.
The artwork is a preliminary study capturing the essence of an auction scene. It features rough, quick chalk sketches of figures, conveying the dynamism and crowd activity typical of an auction environment. The figures are variably detailed, with some appearing more obscure and others more distinct, suggesting an observational and preparatory nature to the piece. The composition demonstrates van Gogh’s interest in the nuances of human behavior and social gatherings.
