The Potato Peeler (reverse: Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat)

The Potato Peeler (reverse: Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat) is an intense oil on canvas painting created by Vincent van Gogh in 1885 during his critical Nuenen period. This double-sided work focuses primarily on the depiction of working-class women in domestic settings. The front depicts a solitary female figure hunched over her task, captured with the dark, earthy palette characteristic of Gogh’s style before his move to Paris. The heavy application of paint emphasizes the toil and dignity of peasant labor, aligning this study with major contemporary works like The Potato Eaters.

Executed at a time when Gogh was passionately dedicated to documenting rural life, this piece exemplifies his initial mastery of oil paint, applied broadly and thickly to create a textured surface. The muted tones and solemn focus on the single subject prefigure the powerful psychological depth Gogh would later achieve. The figure, a member of the local community, is presented as an archetypal subject rather than a specific individual, embodying the daily struggle of the poor.

The reverse of the canvas features the lesser-known Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat, a quickly executed study that illustrates the artist’s practice of reusing materials during his early, impoverished years. This dual nature provides valuable insight into Gogh's working methods and material conservation during 1885. Although this specific work is not in the public domain, prints of Gogh’s iconic self-portraits and peasant studies are widely available for educational purposes. This important early painting, showcasing Gogh's dedication to depicting the lives of working women, is a key holding in the European Paintings collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.