Vincent Van Gogh 57 - The Raw Human Life Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

As days passed by and summer arrived,
Vincent's tryst with his art became
More passionate, absorbing and intense.
He had tuned himself smoothly with nature.
Now, he was interested to draw human figures
Along with landscape, each merging with the other.

Vincent drew a man with a spade,
Five times, at different angles and positions.
He drew a sower sowing seeds, two times over.
He drew a girl with a broom many times,
A woman with a white cap peeling potatoes,
And a shepherd leaning on his staff.

Vincent wrote to his brother Theo
About his drawing of a sick farmer sitting on a chair
Near the hearth, with his head in his hands,
And his elbows on his knees. ' And of course,
I shall not stop at that; when a few sheep
have crossed the bridge, the whole flock follows.'

Vincent was attracted to the raw human life,
The daily workers who worked, sweated hard.
He was fascinated by diggers, sowers, ploughers,
And loved to sketch them while they worked.
' I have to observe and to draw everything
That belongs to country life.'

When Vincent's mother Anna, invited him
To attend a tea party with her, he was aghast.
He told his mother that it was a waste of time.
She said: 'Why will it be wasting your time, son? '
Vincent replied: 'There is nothing to paint at a tea party.'
'That's just where you are wrong, son! '

Anna continued. ' All important women of Etten will be there.'
Vincent wanted to escape this conversation, but he replied:
'Mother, the women at tea party have no character.'
'Nonsense! ' She asserted. ' They all have splendid characters.'
'What I mean is, they all look alike, dear Mother.' Said Vincent.
'They have had such easy lives that they haven't anything interesting carved into their faces.'

A Biographical Poem