Painting · Vincent van Gogh · April–May 1885
Van Gogh, The Potato Eaters (1885)
The Potato Eaters is Vincent van Gogh's oil painting of a peasant family sharing a meal by lamplight, painted at Nuenen in the Netherlands in April and May 1885 and held by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. It was his first major composition, and since Van Gogh died in 1890 it is in the public domain.
History
Van Gogh was living with his parents in the Brabant village of Nuenen, drawing and painting the local weavers and farm labourers, when he set out to make a large figure painting that would prove he could compose. He made dozens of studies of heads and hands, then painted the final canvas in the studio from memory, deliberately in dark, earthy tones so that the figures would look, as he wrote to his brother Theo, as if they had dug the potatoes with the hands they were eating with.
The picture was criticised by his friend Anthon van Rappard for its drawing, and Van Gogh defended it fiercely. Within a year he had left for Paris and the bright palette he is known for, but he continued to think of The Potato Eaters as one of his best works. It belongs to the Van Gogh Museum, which holds the family collection assembled by Theo's widow and son.
What the print shows
Five figures around a rough table in a dim cottage: an old woman pouring coffee, a man and two women reaching for the plate of potatoes, and a child seen from behind, all lit by a single oil lamp hanging above. The palette is browns, greens and greys with the faces catching the light. The original is 82 by 114 cm; the print keeps the landscape proportion and is offered up to 16 by 24 inches.
Source and licence
Source: Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation).
Licence: Public domain. The painter died in 1890; a faithful photograph of a public-domain painting carries no new copyright, so the image can be reproduced freely.
Oil on canvas, 82 by 114 cm.
Available sizes and prices
Print: paper or framed Etsy listing 4570312431
| Size | Paper | Framed |
|---|---|---|
| 8 × 12 in (21 × 30 cm) | $29.99 | $98.99 |
| 12 × 18 in (30 × 45 cm) | $44.99 | $137.99 |
| 16 × 24 in (40 × 60 cm) | $54.99 | $195.99 |
Printed to order, shipped in 2–5 business days, free US shipping. Paper: matte fine-art paper. Framed: real wood (black, white, wood, dark wood), shatterproof acrylic, ready to hang.
Buy
- Vincent van Gogh The Potato Eaters 1885 (print: paper or framed): buy on Etsy, from $29.99.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is The Potato Eaters so dark?
- On purpose. Van Gogh wanted the peasants to look as if they belonged to the earth they farmed, and chose a palette of browns and greys lit by a single lamp. His bright colours came later, in Paris.
- Where was The Potato Eaters painted?
- At Nuenen, in the Dutch province of North Brabant, in the spring of 1885, from studies of local farming families.
- Where is the painting now?
- In the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, as part of the collection kept by the artist's family.
- What sizes is the print available in?
- An A4 poster (listed as 8 by 12), 12 by 18 and 16 by 24 inches, unframed or in a real-wood frame. The prices are listed on this page.
Sources
Published 20 Oct 2026; prices are the live Etsy prices as of 20 Oct 2026. The work is public domain; this page's text is © ThinkDotCo and may be quoted with a link.