Artwork
Landscape with House and Ploughman
Landscape with House and Ploughman is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
This painting is called Landscape with House and Ploughman. It's an oil paint work by Vincent van Gogh.
The painting was produced during the autumn of his stay in Saint-Rémy. It has catalogue numbers F 727 and JH 1877, which suggests it's been well-documented.
You can learn more about the style and techniques used in this painting by looking up the artist, Vincent van Gogh.
Overview
Landscape with House and Ploughman is an oil on canvas painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1889. Executed during the autumn months of his stay at the asylum in Saint‑Rémy, the work measures a modest size and depicts a rural scene viewed from an elevated perspective. It is catalogued as F 727 and JH 1877 and currently resides in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a sweeping valley with a solitary house and a ploughman at work, rendered from a bird’s‑eye viewpoint. The juxtaposition of human activity against the expansive landscape reflects van Gogh’s interest in the relationship between labor, nature, and the cycles of rural life.
Technique & Style
Van Gogh employs his characteristic thick brushwork and vivid palette, using short, impasto strokes to convey the texture of fields and foliage. The aerial perspective is achieved through a muted tonal hierarchy, while the bright reds of the house and the earthy tones of the ploughman’s attire provide focal points within the broader scene.
History & Provenance
It was presumed lost until 1995, when it emerged among a group of artworks recovered from Soviet wartime seizures.
After its creation, the painting entered the collection of German industrialist Otto Krebs in the 1920s. It was presumed lost until 1995, when it emerged among a group of artworks recovered from Soviet wartime seizures. The piece, along with other works by van Gogh, Monet, Cézanne, Gauguin, Degas, Toulouse‑Lautrec, and Picasso, had been taken from pre‑war German private collections, primarily Krebs’s holdings.
Context
The work belongs to van Gogh’s Saint‑Rémy period, a time when he produced numerous landscapes while confined to the asylum. This phase is marked by an intensified use of color and a focus on the natural environment, reflecting both his psychological state and his fascination with agrarian subjects.
Legacy
Since its identification, Landscape with House and Ploughman has been on public display at the Hermitage Museum. The museum’s ongoing research into looted artworks has highlighted the painting’s complex provenance, contributing to broader discussions about restitution and the ethical stewardship of cultural heritage.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art.
