Woman at the Hearth (Peasant Woman by the Fireplace)
Painting on canvas mounted on panel • Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890)
Style & Movement
Dutch Period / Realism
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas; features heavy impasto, visible hatched brushstrokes, and a tonalist approach to light and shadow.
Creation Period
Circa 1885
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 30 x 40 cm; Landscape format.
Subject Description
A seated peasant woman in profile facing a small fire or hearth. The composition is atmospheric, focusing on the domestic interior and the play of low light, characteristic of the artist's Nuenen period.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Fair to Good; visible surface craquelure consistent with age and the artist's heavy paint application.
Estimated Market Value
$3,000,000 - $6,000,000 USD (subject to authentication and provenance verification)
Auction Estimate
$2,500,000 - $5,000,000 USD
Provenance History
Likely originated from the artist's family or the collection of Theo van Gogh; typical of works sold or distributed from the Netherlands in the late 19th/early 20th century.
Art Historical Significance
Significant as a representative work from Van Gogh's Dutch years, demonstrating his influence from Jean-François Millet and his preoccupation with the humble lives of peasants and indoor lighting effects.
Notable Features
The use of dark, earthy tones typical of his pre-Paris palette and a distinctive, vigorous brushwork that anticipates his later expressive style.
Condition Issues
Crackle patterns throughout particularly in areas of thick paint; yellowed varnish; minor surface abrasions at the frame edges.
Conservation Recommendations
Professional cleaning to remove aged varnish; stabilization of craquelure; conservation-grade framing and UV-protective glazing; stable humidity control.