It was during his years in Nuenen that Van Gogh truly emerged as a great artist. Many of the paintings below depict peasants working in the fields--a subject Vincent was particularly fond of. The works themselves clearly show an increasing assuredness of technique. Van Gogh's time in Nuenen proved to be a formidable learning experience as Vincent sought to define his own unique style. Many of the portraits of peasants below can be viewed as studies through which Van Gogh was able to execute what many consider to be his first great painting: The Potato Eaters.
