The Drinkers

1890

While institutionalized in Saint-Rémy, Van Gogh often copied works by artists he admired, which freed him from having to produce original compositions and allowed him to concentrate on interpretation. In his vibrant take on Honoré Daumier’s woodcarving "Physiology of Drinking," there is real pathos and a desperation in the earnest concentration with which the men drink, as if to quench a spiritual thirst.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890)

Date

1890

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

59.4 × 73.4 cm (23 3/8 × 28 7/8 in.); Framed: 78.9 × 93.3 cm (31 1/16 × 36 3/4 in.)

Origin

Netherlands

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Joseph Winterbotham Collection