Vincent Van Gogh The Potato Eaters

What first catches the viewer 's eyes are the vivid colors used in the painting. Ultimately what jumps out the most is the man on the right 's red robe. The artist intended this for a reason, discussed later. The room where the men are standing is front lit. Also the atmosphere is

The focal point of the painting is the woman with infant. This is shown by the lighting in the painting being directly on her, the bright red that she is wearing, and the circling of the putti around her figure along with the majority of their gazes being directed at her. The bright light directly behind her and the infant could possibly be coming from the sun behind the clouds in the sky, the putti to her upper right holding the torch, or it could be symbolic in that it is the infant’s halo and representative of his divine nature. The overall piece is not overly dark but the lighting seems to be most focused on the woman, infant, her other children, and the flying putti. This is an example of tenebrism.

The dark tone is the most emphasized. The focal point of this painting is the table being surrounded by a bunch of fruits and food. As everyone can tell, this painting is an

Concerning color, there is a stark contrast between the figure on the painting and the background. More specifically, the figure of the woman is predominantly delineated in white color, especially pale, ashen white, as far her apparel and facial complexion are concerned, while there are also various hues of grey, with respect to her hair and accessory feather. These white and grey shades are vividly contrasted with the prevailing red and crimson hues of the background (viz. the drape, armchair, and table). Moreover, one can detect colors of dark green (jewelry), some beige on the left (pillar), and darker or lighter shades of blue on the right side of the canvas (sky), which all in concert and in addition to the subtle purple hue forming the sun or moon exude a certain dramatic sentiment. Also, there is brown, which often easily segues into gold (viz. books and attire details respectively). The main contrast of colors between white and red would be interpreted as serving the purpose of rendering the figure of the woman, and especially her face, the focal point of the work, despite, paradoxically enough, the lush red shades at the background. Bearing that in mind, the significance of the woman’s face will be enlarged upon later, when discussing aspects of her identity.

The painting is dull and follows the chromatic value scale. It has an ambient light which is the sun that shines through the trees focusing on the woman on the swing which is the highlight. The statue of two angels underneath her acts of the shadow and the two men and the brushes are dark being the core of shadow.

painting which also ties into the scene being set at night in the darkness. Contrast is used well to

The colors he chose are depressing and sad. Dark and drab yellow and greens with heavy dark shadows being cast on the floor and face of the woman; a direct contrast to the bright white wall directly behind her. The woman sits at the edge of her bed, hardly clothed and looking exasperated. Her bags remain unpacked, behind her scarf, the only thing that even gives us a hint of color,

Hopper frequently chose to give his paintings discreet and dark feelings. Dark hues were used to give a feeling of darkness contrasted with bright lights from inside the parlor. As well as using dark hues, Hopper blends these well with the red of the building in the back round as the last of the sunlight beams off the building. Hopper centers a man in

The feel of the picture lends to emotions of unease and recognition of sexual innuendo. The colors of the painting are vibrant, but for the most part are dark. The heavy tones and shades of the colors are well balanced throughout the piece. It can be noted that the brightest shades of color are found on areas depicting the actual woman. In areas that are understood as landscape, the colors are more dreary and create a sense of instability. Even Hess observes that the

The shapes of the figures are sharply defined and the objects such as the table, book, and string instruments. There are diagonal rhythms throughout the painting in which it creates movement. The light source in the upper left allows the source light to have a more natural appearance throughout the painting. The shadows at the right-hand corner and the men wearing green in the middle contrast the main object with the most sources of lighting. The objects shadows and lighting create dimension and a vivid sense of more contrast. There are areas in the making with more contrast and the sharp contrast that creates movement in the painting. The shadows and the lighting throughout the painting show gradations and the highlights create more depth. Staring from the upper-left hand corner with the first figure of a gentleman wearing a hue of blue and yellow, the left side of his face and garment shows the source light in right above him. The source light above the

The first thing that stands out in this painting is the color scheme. From far away, the warm colors of orange, tan, and mahogany seem inviting. The home seems friendly under a slice of turquoise sky. Shadows heighten the look of the fading sunlight upon the

The use of dark colors in middle of the painting, with subtle hint of brighter colors like red, tan, and green, on the outside courts of the painting.

We can also see the use of black shades to create a hole at the bottom part of the rock. With his excellent use of colors, we can identify the good, healthy and green grass from the bad, unhealthy, brown grasses. Looking beyond the main focus of the painting, he uses colors to separate the sky from the land in the background creating a solid form of perspective on the painting. He also uses colors to create water forms as seen behind the young character. Now, for the sky, he uses shades of white to magnificently differentiate the thick clouds from the light ones. He also uses this to create a source to light to the whole area. All these put together creates a splendid, realistic and familiar atmosphere for the viewers to relate with.

     Color values are strong in this painting. It goes back to what I said about color, but I believe the soft hue of the blue walls against the strong hue of the bed frame and floor provides enough contrast to pull you into the painting. I also like the strong hue of the table. It connects the visual of looking at the chairs and the bed. When you look at the table, your eye cannot help but look at the other furniture.

The Potato Eaters is a naturalistic oil painting by the reputable Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, in the collection of the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. The painting was completed in 1885 and as is widely considered as Van Gogh’s first masterpiece as the artist himself has regarded it as his most successful painting. A horizontal composition about 82cm x 114cm, the painting depicts a family of peasants, four woman and a man around a square table having potatoes for supper. Somber and earthly tones are used for the painting to emphasize the humble and low life of peasants.