Minneapolis Institute of Art

[Potato diggers]

Leo Gestel

Date

early 20th century

Medium

Ink and pastel on paper

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Having studied in Amsterdam and Paris, Dutch painter Leo Gestel was interested in international avant-garde artistic movements. He delved into Divisionism, Fauvism, Cubism, and Expressionism. At times he dealt with major events, such as the displacement of refugees during World War I, but more often he depicted everyday life. Here Gestel shows us a potato harvest. His sturdy, stylized figures engage in the backbreaking work. The foreground workers kneel along a row to dig up the potatoes, while those further back stand to dump the potatoes from one container into another. Further back are horsedrawn carts to bring the harvest back from the field. Netherlands, Europe

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