Hands, Nuenen 1885 - Vincent Van Gogh

While working towards his large painting The Potato Eaters, Van (iogh spent a lot of time drawing details of peasant life. He produced at least forty studies of hands, heads and complete figures in different positions in order to work out his final composition. This work is one such study although it was not actually eventually used in The Potato Eaters (p.24). The hand grasping the wooden handle of an implement is very strong and uncompromising, showing clearly the workmanlike quality of the fingers and knuckles. These are not a model's hands but hands of a worker of the soil, full of strength and vigour.