Balanced juxtaposition

Van Gogh was a fan of a balanced juxtaposition of complementary colors: red and green, yellow and blue, placed next to each other but not blended. These splashes of color also interweave the figure with the landscape.

Connection to nature

The subject of this painting is thought to have lived amongst orchards, orange and lemon groves, and olive trees. The green, textured background of this painting portrays this connection to nature.

A way of life

Van Gogh had a fascination with the peasant way of life. The heavy toil of working in the fields and the simple life of peasants, seeming almost to be made of the land that they farm, were the main themes in many of Van Gogh’s paintings.

Oil on canvas

Painting in oil on canvas, Van Gogh layered paint to build up colors and tones, and create detail in the work.