The Potato Eaters
Currently on view
Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890), Nuenen, April-May 1885
oil on canvas, 82 cm x 114 cm
Credits (obliged to state): Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)
Van Gogh saw the Potato Eaters as a showpiece, for which he deliberately chose a difficult composition to prove he was on his way to becoming a good figure painter. The painting had to depict the harsh reality of country life, so he gave the peasants coarse faces and bony, working hands. He wanted to show in this way that they ‘have tilled the earth themselves with these hands they are putting in the dish ... that they have thus honestly earned their food’.
He painted the five figures in earth colours – ‘something like the colour of a really dusty potato, unpeeled of course’. The message of the painting was more important to Van Gogh than correct anatomy or technical perfection. He was very pleased with the result: yet his painting drew considerable criticism because its colours were so dark and the figures full of mistakes. Nowadays, the Potato Eaters is one of Van Gogh’s most famous works.
- F-number
- F0082
- JH-number
- JH0764
- Object number
- s0005V1962
- Dimensions
- 82 cm x 114 cm, 100 cm x 133 cm
- Provenance
- Sent by the artist to his brother Theo van Gogh, Paris, at the beginning of May 1885; after his death on 25 January 1891, inherited by his widow, Jo van Gogh-Bonger, and their son, Vincent Willem van Gogh, Paris; administered until her death on 2 September 1925 by Jo van Gogh-Bonger, Bussum/Amsterdam/Laren; transferred by Vincent Willem van Gogh, Laren, to the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, Amsterdam, 10 July 1962; agreement concluded between the Vincent van Gogh Foundation and the State of the Netherlands, in which the preservation and management of the collection, and its placing in the Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh, to be realized in Amsterdam, is entrusted to the State, 21 July 1962; given on loan until the opening of the museum on 2 June 1973 to the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; on permanent loan to the Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh from 2 June 1973 and at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, since 1 July 1994.
- artist
- Vincent van Gogh
- Credits (obliged to state)
- Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, De Aardappeleters: misser of meesterwerk?, 8 October 2021-13 February 2022
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, 'Je liefhebbende Vincent'. Van Goghs mooiste brieven, 9 October 2020-10 January 2021
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Munch : Van Gogh, 24 September 2015-17 January 2016
Oslo, Munch Museum, Van Gogh + Munch, 9 May-6 September 2015
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Van Gogh aan het werk, 1 May 2013-13 January 2014
Amsterdam, Hermitage Amsterdam, Vincent. Het Van Gogh Museum in de Hermitage Amsterdam, 29 September 2012-25 April 2013
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Van Goghs brieven. De kunstenaar aan het woord, 9 October 2009-3 January 2010
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Van Gogh en de kleuren van de nacht, 13 February-7 June 2009
New York, Museum of Modern Art (New York), Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night, 21 September 2008-5 January 2009
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, De keuze van Vincent. Van Goghs Musée imaginaire, 14 February-15 June 2003
Amsterdam, Van Gogh Museum, Licht! Het industriële tijdperk 1750-1900. Kunst en wetenschap, technologie & samenleving, 20 October 2000-11 February 2001, no. zonder nr.
Boston, Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), Van Gogh. Face to Face, 2 July-24 September 2000
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Van Gogh's Van Goghs. Masterpieces from the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 17 January-16 May 1999, no. 6
Washington, National Gallery of Art, Van Gogh's Van Goghs. Masterpieces from the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 4 October 1998-3 January 1999, no. 6
Tokyo, Seiji Togo Memorial Yasuda Kasai Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh and his time. Van Gogh & Millet from the Vincent van Gogh Museum and the H.W. Mesdag Museum, 15 September-14 November 1993, no. 2
Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh, De aardappeleters van Vincent van Gogh, 11 June-29 August 1993, no. 14
Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh, Vincent van Gogh. Schilderijen, 30 March-29 July 1990, no. 7
Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh, Van Gogh & Millet, 9 December 1988-26 February 1989, no. 19
Den Bosch, Noordbrabants Museum, Van Gogh in Brabant. Schilderijen en tekeningen uit Etten en Nuenen, 2 November 1987-10 January 1988, no. 43
Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh, Vincent van Gogh in zijn Hollandse jaren. Kijk op stad en land door Van Gogh en zijn tijdgenoten 1870-1890, 13 December 1980-22 March 1981, no. 120
Bern, Kunstmuseum (Bern), Vincent van Gogh. Collection du Musée National Vincent van Gogh à Amsterdam, 25 January-15 April 1973, no. 1
Strasbourg, Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain Strasbourg, Vincent van Gogh. Collection du Musée National Vincent van Gogh à Amsterdam, 22 October 1972-15 January 1973, no. 1
Bordeaux, Musée des Beaux-Arts (Bordeaux), Vincent van Gogh. Collection du Musée National Vincent van Gogh à Amsterdam, 21 April-20 June 1972, no. 1
Paris, Musée de l'Orangerie, Vincent van Gogh. Collection du Musée National Vincent van Gogh à Amsterdam, 21 December 1971-10 April 1972, no. 5
New York, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 14 February-4 April 1971, no. 6
San Francisco, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 11 December 1970-31 January 1971, no. 6
Baltimore, Baltimore Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 11 October-29 November 1970, no. 6
Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Philadelphia Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 28 February-5 April 1970, no. 6
Saint Louis, City Art Museum of Saint Louis, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 20 December 1969-1 February 1970, no. 6
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 14 October-1 December 1969, no. 6
London, Hayward Gallery, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings of the Vincent van Gogh Foundation Amsterdam, 23 October 1968-12 January 1969, no. 38
Wolfsburg, Stadthalle Wolfsburg, Vincent van Gogh. Gemälde, Aquarelle, Zeichnungen, 18 February-2 April 1967, no. 10
Gothenburg, Göteborgs Konstmuseum, Vincent van Gogh. Målningar, akvareller, teckningar, 30 December 1965-20 February 1966, no. 6
Stockholm, Moderna Museet, Vincent van Gogh. Målningar, akvareller, teckningar, 23 October-19 December 1965, no. 6
Nuenen, Gemeentehuis, Vincent van Gogh. Schilderijen, aquarellen, tekeningen, 8-31 May 1965, no. zonder nr.
Ghent, Museum voor Schone Kunsten (Gent), Vincent van Gogh. Schilderijen, aquarellen, tekeningen, 19 February-28 March 1965, no. 2
Charleroi, Palais des Beaux-Arts (Charleroi), Vincent van Gogh. Schilderijen, aquarellen, tekeningen, 9 January-9 February 1965, no. 2
New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 2 April-28 June 1964, no. 3
Washington, Washington Gallery of Modern Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 2 February-19 March 1964, no. 3
Humlebaek, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Vincent van Gogh. Malerier og tegninger, 24 October-15 December 1963, no. 3
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, 150 jaar Nederlandse kunst. Schilderijen, beelden, tekeningen, grafiek 1813-1963, 6 July-29 September 1963, no. 97
Kansas City, William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art and Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 7 February-26 March 1963, no. 6
Detroit, Detroit Institute of Arts, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 11 December 1962-29 January 1963, no. 6
Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), Carnegie Institute, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 18 October-4 November 1962, no. 6
Recklinghausen, Kunsthalle Recklinghausen, Idee und Vollendung, 19 May-15 July 1962, no. 22
Boston, Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 22 March-29 April 1962, no. 6
Buffalo (New York), Albright Art Gallery, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 30 January-11 March 1962, no. 6
Cleveland, Cleveland Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 5 December 1961-14 January 1962, no. 6
Baltimore, Baltimore Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings, 18 October-26 November 1961, no. 6
Toronto, The Art Gallery of Toronto, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings-Drawings / Tableaux-Dessins, 10 February-12 March 1961, no. 12
Winnipeg, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings-Drawings / Tableaux-Dessins, 29 December 1960-31 January 1961, no. 12
Ottawa, National Gallery of Canada, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings-Drawings / Tableaux-Dessins, 17 November-18 December 1960, no. 12
Montréal, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings-Drawings / Tableaux-Dessins, 6 October-6 November 1960, no. 12
Brussels, Palais des Beaux Arts, Le drame social dans l'art. De Goya à Picasso, 21 May-30 June 1960, no. 74
Utrecht, Centraal Museum, Vincent van Gogh schilderijen en tekeningen, verzameling Ir. V.W. van Gogh, 18 December 1959-1 February 1960, no. 3
Seattle, Seattle Art Museum, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 7 March-19 April 1959, no. 7
Portland (Oregon), Portland Art Museum (Oregon), Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 28 January-1 March 1959, no. 7
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 10 December 1958-18 January 1959, no. 7
San Francisco, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings and Drawings, 6 October-30 November 1958, no. 7
Mons, Museum voor Schoone Kunsten, Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). Son art et ses amis, 22 March-5 May 1958, no. 4
Deventer, De Muntentoren, Schilderijen van Vincent van Gogh, 31 January-20 February 1958, no. 4
Schiedam, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Vincent van Gogh, 21 December 1957-27 January 1958, no. 4
Leiden, Museum De Lakenhal, Vincent van Gogh, 9 November-16 December 1957, no. 4
Marseille, Musée Cantini, Vincent van Gogh, 12 March-28 April 1957, no. 10
Breda, Cultureel Centrum De Beyerd, Vincent van Gogh, 2-24 February 1957, no. 26
Newcastle upon Tyne, Laing Art Gallery, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings & Drawings, Mainly from the Collection of Ir. V.W. van Gogh, 11 February-24 March 1956, no. 4
Manchester (England), Manchester City Art Gallery, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings & Drawings, Mainly from the Collection of Ir. V.W. van Gogh, 17 December 1955-4 February 1956, no. 4
Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery, Vincent van Gogh. Paintings & Drawings, Mainly from the Collection of Ir. V.W. van Gogh, 29 October-10 December 1955, no. 4
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Vincent van Gogh, 24 June-September 1955, no. 25
Antwerp, Zaal Comité voor Artistieke Werking, Vincent van Gogh, 7 May-19 June 1955, no. 52
New Orleans, Isaac Delgado Museum, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890, 27 March-20 April 1955, no. 5
Miami, Lowe Gallery of the University of Miami, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890, 24 February-20 March 1955, no. 5
Palm Beach (Florida), Society of the Four Arts, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890, 21 January-13 February 1955, no. 5
Willemstad, Curaçaosch Museum, Vincent van Gogh, 19 December 1954-15 January 1955, no. 5
Zurich, Kunsthaus Zürich, Vincent van Gogh, 9 October-21 November 1954, no. 2
Toledo (Ohio), Toledo Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890, 7 March-30 April 1954, no. 30
Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Philadelphia Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890, 2 January-28 February 1954, no. 30
Saint Louis, City Art Museum of Saint Louis, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890, 17 October-13 December 1953, no. 30
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Eeuwfeest Vincent van Gogh, 23 July-20 September 1953, no. 22
Otterlo, Kröller-Müller Museum, Eeuwfeest Vincent van Gogh, 24 May-19 July 1953, no. 22
The Hague, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Vincent van Gogh, 30 March-17 May 1953, no. 34
Eindhoven, Van Abbemuseum, Vincent van Gogh, 22 March-4 May 1952, no. 7
Enschede, Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Vincent van Gogh, 20 February-16 March 1952, no. 10
Alkmaar, Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar, Tentoonstelling schilderijen van Vincent van Gogh, 1 December 1951-1 January 1952, no. 1
Nijmegen, Waaggebouw, Tentoonstelling schilderijen van Vincent van Gogh, 3-26 November 1951, no. 1
Arles, Musée Réattu, Vincent van Gogh en Provence, 5-27 May 1951, no. 9
Grenoble, Musée de Grenoble, Vincent van Gogh, 30 March-2 May 1951, no. 9
Lyon, Musée de Lyon, Vincent van Gogh, 5 February-27 March 1951, no. 9
Hilversum, Raadhuis Hilversum, Tentoonstelling Vincent van Gogh, 7 October-5 November 1950, no. 1
Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, Vincent van Gogh Paintings and Drawings. A Special Loan Exhibition, 1 February-16 April 1950, no. 7
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh Paintings and Drawings. A Special Loan Exhibition, 21 October 1949-15 January 1950, no. 7
Middelburg, Kunstmuseum Middelburg, Van Gogh-tentoonstelling, 9 April-1 May 1949, no. 9
The Hague, Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Vincent van Gogh. Collectie ir. V.W. van Gogh, 12 October 1948-10 January 1949, no. 12
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Vincent van Gogh en zijn Nederlandse tijdgenoten, 25 June-30 September 1948, no. zonder nr.
Oslo, Kunstnernes Hus, Vincent van Gogh, 24 April-15 May 1948, no. 2
Bergen (Norway), Kunstforening, Vincent van Gogh, 23 March-18 April 1948, no. 2
Glasgow, City Art Gallery, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890. An Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings, 21 February-14 March 1948, no. 6
Birmingham (England), City Art Gallery, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890. An Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings, 24 January-14 February 1948, no. 6
London, Tate Gallery, Vincent van Gogh 1853-1890. An Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings, 10 December 1947-14 January 1948, no. 6
Groningen, Museum van Oudheden, Vincent van Gogh, 18 October-16 November 1947, no. 8
Geneva, Musée Rath, 172 oeuvres de Vincent van Gogh (1852-1890), 22 March-20 April 1947, no. 25
Paris, Musée de l'Orangerie, Vincent van Gogh, 24 January-15 March 1947, no. 25
Mons, Museum voor Schoone Kunsten, Vincent van Gogh, 27 December 1946-January 1947, no. 25
Brussels, Paleis voor Schoone Kunsten, Vincent van Gogh, 9 November-19 December 1946, no. 25
Luik, Museum voor Schoone Kunsten, Vincent van Gogh, 12 October-3 November 1946, no. 25
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Vincent van Gogh, 14 August-30 September 1946
Copenhagen, Charlottenborg, Vincent van Gogh. Udstilling af malerier og tegninger, 22 June-14 July 1946, no. 11
Malmö, Malmö Museum, Vincent van Gogh. Utställning anordnad till förmån för svenska hollandshjälpen, 29 May-16 June 1946, no. 12
Gothenburg, Göteborgs Konstmuseum, Vincent van Gogh. Utställning anordnad till förmån för svenska hollandshjälpen, 3-26 May 1946, no. 12
Stockholm, Nationalmuseum (Stockholm), Vincent van Gogh. Utställning anordnad till förmån för svenska hollandshjälpen, 8 March-28 April 1946, no. 12
Heerlen, Raadhuis Heerlen, Vincent van Gogh, 8-24 February 1946, no. 20
Maastricht, Bonnefantenmuseum, Vincent van Gogh, 12-28 January 1946, no. 20
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Vincent van Gogh, 14 September-1 December 1945, no. zonder nr.
Amsterdam, E.J. van Wisselingh & Co, Nederlandsche schilderkunst. Meesterwerken uit de 19e eeuw, 10 August-10 September 1938, no. 16
Eindhoven, Van Abbemuseum, Schilders van de Haagsche School, 11 June-1 July 1938, no. 44
Copenhagen, Charlottenborg, Vincent van Gogh. Malerier, tegninger, akvareller, January 1938, no. 3
Oslo, Kunstnernes Hus, Vincent van Gogh. Malerier, tegninger, akvareller, 3-24 December 1937, no. 1
Paris, Les nouveaux musées, Quai de Tokio, La vie et l'oeuvre de Van Gogh, June-October 1937, no. 24
San Francisco, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, Vincent van Gogh, 28 April-24 May 1936, no. 9
Cleveland, Cleveland Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh, 25 March-19 April 1936, no. 9
Boston, Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), Vincent van Gogh, 19 February-15 March 1936, no. 9
Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Philadelphia Museum of Art, Vincent van Gogh, 11 January-10 February 1936, no. 9
New York, Museum of Modern Art (New York), Vincent van Gogh, 5 November 1935-5 January 1936, no. 9
Den Bosch, Centraal Noordbrabantsch Museum, Tentoonstelling Noord-Brabant, 6-31 July 1935, no. 35
Hilversum, Makkermacht, [titel onbekend], 29-30 November 1930
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Vincent van Gogh en zijn tijdgenooten, 6 September-2 November 1930, no. 1
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Vincent van Gogh tentoonstelling ter gelegenheid van het internationale jeugdfeest der S.J.I., 15 May-15 June 1926, no. 1
Amsterdam, Gebouw voor Beeldende Kunst, Vincent van Gogh tentoonstelling, 29 March-11 May 1924, no. 2
Amsterdam, Genootschap van kunstenaren Moderne Kunstkring, Vincent van Gogh. Werken van genooten, 27 September-30 November 1915, no. 1
Hamburg, Galerie Commeter, V. van Gogh, September 1914
Cologne, Kölner Kunstverein, V. van Gogh, July-August 1914
Berlin, Kunstsalon Paul Cassirer, Vincent van Gogh 30. März 1853 - 29. Juli 1890. Zehnte Ausstellung, 1 June-5 July 1914, no. 9
Antwerp, Zaal Comité voor Artistieke Werking, L'art contemporain. Salon 1914 / Kunst van Heden. Tentoonstelling 1914, 7 March-5 April 1914, no. 5
Utrecht, Vereeniging Voor de Kunst, Tentoonstelling van schilderijen door Vincent van Gogh, 9 September-2 October 1905, no. 12
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Tentoonstelling Vincent van Gogh, 15 July-1 September 1905, no. 26
Paris, Galerie Vollard, [Vincent van Gogh], December 1896-February 1897
Amsterdam, Firma Buffa en Zonen, Vincent van Gogh, February 1892, no. 1
Overbruggen, Peter van, 'Aardappeleters' geïnspireerd door een schilderij uit Eindhoven?, p. 59-62
