Vincent Van Gogh 88 - The Potato Eaters Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

In Brabant, Vincent had the opportunity
To interact closely with a family of peasants.
The family named De Groot were potato eaters.
They planted, cultivated and dug potatoes.
Their daily food, nourishment depended on potatoes.
Potatoes formed an essential, wonder food of their lives.
The potato eaters worked hard from dawn to dusk,
At the end of the day, they ate their meals together with joy.

Vincent became friendly with the De Groot family
And visited them almost every day.
He wanted to paint the De Groot family,
While they ate their supper of baked potatoes with coffee.
Vincent wanted to capture this scene live, in action,
The life of potato eaters with their small head,
Pointed features, protruding face, wide eyes, fluffy nose,
Dilated nostrils, distended lips and long angular ears.

Vincent tried various combinations of colour and proportions,
He painted the potato eaters, innumerable number of times.
But each time, he found something missing and incomplete.
He drove himself frenzy trying to capture their movements
And character into his canvas. He worked on it repeatedly.
Then, would tear them off, never satisfied with his painting.
He worked the whole night in his studio and slept during the day.
When he woke up, he would set out to the De Groots again.

The painting of ‘Potato Eaters' turned out to be marvel!
Vincent's painting conveyed a strong message to the world.
The poor and underprivileged farmers were dignified people.
They toiled hard with the earth and lived an honest life.
The dignity of labour and working class was highlighted.
The shades of brown and black were utilized to perfection.
The dark, heavy painting expressed intense feeling, compassion
For the poor farmers, who lived in a hut with just a table and a lamp.

Little did Vincent know, that his painting of "Potato Eaters"
Was destined to be a much-acclaimed work in the world of art.
In the years to come, beyond his time, the paintings
Of "Potato Eaters" remains a timeless, classic piece of art,
Most admired and acclaimed.

A Biographical Poem