Description
During March and the beginning of April 1885 van Gogh sketched studies for the painting, and corresponded with his brother Theo, who was not impressed with his current work nor the sketches Van Gogh sent him in Paris. He worked on the painting from 13 April until the beginning of May, when it was mostly done except for minor changes that he made with a small brush later the same year.
Van Gogh said he wanted to depict peasants as they really were. He deliberately chose coarse and ugly models, thinking that they would be natural and unspoiled in his finished work.
Bibliography
The Potato Eaters, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Potato_Eaters&oldid=1087265704 (last visited Aug. 4, 2022).
