Painting Critique - Road in Etten

Jessica Bentz

Professor Robert Bomboy

Humanities 101

30 September 2015

Painting Critique: Road in Etten

During his residency in Etten, Netherlands, Vincent Van Gogh created a series of drawings that portrayed the daily lives of peasants and laborers. One of the most recognized drawings in this series is the “Road in Etten” which acts as a narrative portrayal of a worker sweeping a willow lined street. This painting was created during the post-impressionist movement, which focuses on emotion over visual impressions. Post-impressionist artists used simplified color and definitive form to create aestheticism. (Metropolitan Museum)

Van Gogh created “Road in Etten” using a variety of mediums, including, chalk, pencil, pastel and water color. The first noticeable aspect of the painting is the lack of color. The overall tone of the piece is washed out and muted. Upon first look, it almost appears as though the painting is black and white. However, when further studied, it becomes apparent that there is light use of color throughout the painting. The primary colors are blacks, grays and browns. The only use of vibrant color is in the individuals walking down the street and some elements of the background. The use of value creates a dark overcast view and draws focus on the subjects (people walking down the street). In addition to the use of color, Van Gogh uses texture throughout the painting. The overall image feels “raw” and sketched. No elements in the painting are smooth or overly embellished. Van Gogh does not use straight lines in any aspects of “Road in Etten”. From the texture on the pavement to the bold lines on the bare willow trees, the piece creates an overall dramatic tone. In addition to bold lines, Van Gogh uses texture in the clouds, which adds to the sense of overcast and bleakness.

Another important principle to discuss in the composition of this work is the use of repeating elements to create a sense of rhythm and movement throughout the piece.  The tree-line is repeated through the center of the painting. The trees progressively become smaller throughout the painting, which gives the viewer a sense of looking down the road. This creates depth and also acts as a way to direct the eye to the subjects in the piece.  In addition, the use of shadows and repeating lines on the road show how the worker is cleaning the street. The area behind the worker is void of these lines and shadows, while the rest of the painting shows the “work” left to be done. The piece creates a unified example of a day in the life of residents in Etten during the early 1900s. 

“Road in Etten” allows Van Gogh to portray what life was like for the working and lower classes in Etten during his time as a resident. Van Gogh shows how these individuals performed mundane and routine tasks that were critical in ensuring an overall quality of life that all citizens were able to enjoy. It depicts the role of this working class in society during the early 1900s, and the importance of their services.  While Van Gogh was not known for being an activist, his accurate and non-romanticized work during this time allows historians and critics to use his work from this period to show issues such as class roles and societal conditions.  

While Van Gogh’s primary focus of his work was to act as a portrayal of his life experiences, his realistic and non-bias work can be studied against the Marxist view, which was prevalent during this period.  In the painting Van Gogh depicts a proletariat, which is a collective term describing industrial workers who lack their own means of production and hence sell their labor to live. (Fiero 285) This relates to the Marxist view, which focuses on capitalism and the division of power between societal classes. Marxists believed that the working class was robbed of the ability to enjoy the fruits of their labor. In Van Gogh’s “Road in Etten” the street sweeper is the only individual that is clearly defined. He is also the only individual performing a menial task. While Van Gogh may have depicted this scene as a snapshot to his daily life, it is important to the Marxist view as it shows the importance of the working class; yet also depicts how this individual is not able to enjoy a leisurely stroll like the rest of the individuals in the painting. The overall tone of the painting gives a sense of oppression to the working class.

In critiquing “Road in Etten” I was first drawn to the use of muted colors. Van Gogh creates an image that provokes an emotional response. When looking at this painting you can picture yourself walking down this road on a cold, winter day. Upon learning more about the piece, I was interested in how the Marxist approach could be easily identified in this work. Van Gogh’s subject (the street sweeper) is an innocuous subject, yet when studying the societal landscape during this time it proves to be a thought provoking depiction.

Works Cited

Fiero, Gloria K. "The Move Toward Modernism” The Humanistic Tradition. 7th ed. Vol. 2. New York: McGraw Hill, 2015. 346. Print.

"Vincent Van Gogh | Road in Etten." Vincent Van Gogh. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.