Noon: Rest, St-Remy 1890 and The Sower, Etten 1881 (after Millet) - Vincent Van Gogh

Throughout his life Van Gogh referred to paintings by the French painter Millet, who was a strong influence in his life. He made copies of works by Millet throughout his career, originally with similar colour values but later on with more intense colour, thus changing the effect of the picture. The sower in Millet's painting was a rather noble and extraordinarily heroic figure, whereas Van Gogh saw the working peasant more realistically: strong but not noble, wresting his living from the earth by the sweat of his brow and with a lifetime of unremitting toil.