The painting "The Potato Eaters" is considered Van Gogh's first masterpiece, and the world-renowned Dutch artist Van Gogh sought to paint it while living among the peasants and laborers in Nuenen, Netherlands, so he could particularly portray the people and their lives honestly.

Through the painting, Van Gogh presents the scene in a muted palette, highlighting the bleak living conditions of the peasants and using ugly models to replicate the effects of manual labor on these people.

Enhancing this effect is his use of loose brush strokes to describe the faces and hands of the peasants as they gather around the unique small lantern, eating their meager meal of potatoes.

Despite the striking nature of the scene, the painting was not considered successful until after Van Gogh's death.

At the time this work was painted, the Impressionists had dominated the Parisian avant-garde for over a decade with their luminous canvases. It is not surprising that Theo, Van Gogh's brother, found it impossible to sell paintings from this period in his brother's career.

However, this work not only exemplifies Van Gogh's commitment to presenting emotionally and spiritually charged scenes in his art, but it also illustrates the enduring ideas that Van Gogh followed throughout his professional life.