VAN GOGH MUSEUM, The Potato Eaters

The Potato Eaters is one of the first famous paintings by Vincent Van Gogh, heavily influenced by the tormented experiences of his youth.

Born in 1853 in Groot Zundert, Van Gogh was the eldest of the six children of a Calvinist pastor. Raised in an austere, harsh environment, he was not a particularly gifted student, and at the age of 15 he began working for Goupil, a company that traded in artworks. After he had spent a few years with the company, for which he had moved on several occasions, he was dismissed as a result of his behavior: his existential malaise was such that it had become impossible for him to pursue his professional activity. He was replaced by his brother Theo, who managed to carve out a decent career for himself, which allowed him to support his beloved brother, also financially, throughout his life.

The young Van Gogh, driven by an almost obsessive faith, then attempted to study theology with the aim of becoming a pastor. Although he was unsuccessful, he did manage to obtain a post as a preacher in a mining area in Belgium, where the absolute poverty of the local workers made a deep impression on him....