Beer Tankards

Three plain beer tankards rest on a bare surface in this modest painting Vincent van Gogh made in 1884. One lies on its side with its lid flopped open, while the other two stand upright, all of them worked in muddy browns and dull greens that barely stand out against the shadows. Anyone expecting the swirling stars and blazing yellows of his later work will be surprised here. This is Van Gogh at the very start, still teaching himself how to paint objects sitting in low light.

During these years in the Netherlands, he was drawn to the world of ordinary working people, filling his canvases with peasants, farm tools, and everyday household things instead of anything grand or costly. Tankards like these belonged in a simple country tavern, and he made no effort to dress them up or flatter them. The result is closer to a practice study than a finished treasure, but that is exactly what makes it interesting. Seeing him fumble through the basics reminds us that the celebrated artist we know today spent long, patient hours learning his trade one humble subject at a time.