Head of a Peasant Woman. Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh - Kopf einer Barbanter Bäuerin mit dunkler Haube2.jpeg (source). Public domain — PD-Art.
Head of a Peasant Woman
Vincent van Gogh · 1885, January
- Catalog
- F135
- Date
- 1885, January
- Place painted
- Nuenen
- Museum
- Cincinnati Art Museum
- Medium
- oil on canvas, wax-resin lined, put on new stretcher in 2014
About the painting
Painted during his Nuenen period, Van Gogh's Head of a Peasant Woman is a stark and deeply empathetic character study. This work embodies his dedication to portraying the working class, rendered with a somber palette dominated by earthy browns and greens. The woman's face, though simplified, conveys a strong sense of lived experience, her features seemingly etched by hardship and resilience. Van Gogh's thick, deliberate brushstrokes create a tactile quality, emphasizing the rugged reality of her existence. This portrait is not about idealized beauty but about capturing the unvarnished dignity and enduring spirit he observed in the peasants around him, a hallmark of his early mature style.
Collection: Cincinnati Art Museum. Whether it is currently on view should be confirmed with the museum before visiting.
Research note: this entry is based on an evolving catalog. Dates, attribution, location and visitor information should be verified against the institution’s current records.