The artwork entitled “Woman Shelling Peas,” created by Vincent van Gogh in 1885 in Nuenen, Netherlands, is a fine example of genre painting belonging to the Realism art movement. Executed in chalk on paper, the piece is housed in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
In the artwork, the viewer observes a solitary woman seated in a modest interior, focused on the task of shelling peas. The artist uses distinct, expressive chalk strokes to render the folds of her clothing and the textures of the various objects in the room. The woman’s concentrated expression and the humble setting evoke a poignant sense of everyday life. The sparse furnishings and the utilitarian surroundings, including a window, table, and hanging lamp, are depicted with a simple yet profound authenticity, characteristic of van Gogh’s early works in capturing the essence of rural life.
