Why are they eating potatoes?

Why are they eating potatoes?


It is my candor that I have never been bashed either to interpret what a painting means or imagine the artist’s feeling through though I have seen famous paintings a lot.  To tell as an untold story after taking a look a painting is an uncanny experience for me and not so easy as well I thought. Nonetheless, I become aware that my belief is not correct after gazing the painting, “Potato Eaters” for a few moments. What I feel on this painting might digress from Van Gogh’s outlook.  However, for sure we can take the various stances on a painting or a song or a poem is an art.

The most obvious thing I notice in the painting is the woman’s eyes and the way she looks. Since I am not an adept critique at painting or arts, I make a look intently to the painting. It is eerie to express, I felt pity to her at first sight and had a continuous thoughts why they are eating only potato. Is it because of their income?  I have heard about some tribes living at the countryside in our country had to eat corn instead of rice as the rice is a rare product at their place and they are not rich enough to buy it. In addition, the people in the painting are just taking green tea and make me longed for our Myanmar people especially the villagers who use to take green tea as their desert.

Once I take a glance at the painting again, I get another contemplation that the weather is too cold and they cannot even get out of their house.  That is why they have no choice but they are staying indoors, cramming in a small place and having potatoes.
   
Yet again, another notion on this painting is that they seem frightened of something and trying to conceal them inside the house. Thus, they have to eat their meal imperfectly and the potatoes become their dinner I presume.

For me, I seriously miss my grandpa who liked the green tea much and he used to take it from dawn to sunset.  As in the painting, the lamp was hanging and we used to have a chat taking the green tea underneath of its dim light.  There was also a clock mounting at the wall of the house.  The difference was we were the tea leaf salad or baked dried fish eaters.  Instead of potatoes.

My last point of view on this painting is indeed like chalk and cheese to my statement earlier about anxiety.   Because I felt as there is neither concern nor anxiety can been seen and the peacefulness is saturated on their faces.

Having viewed it repeatedly, I concluded that the creation or the art of the painting, “Potato Eater” is seriously amazing. No doubt Van Gogh is one of the most famous painters or artist in the world!



Zelena

11 July 2011