Peasant with Sickle (Woodcarving after Vincent van Gogh drawing)

2024

Walnut

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”

— Vincent Van Gogh

To improve my drawing skills, I started copying Van Gogh’s earthy sketches of peasants. This got me thinking: could I reverse his process and turn a 2D drawing into 3D?

Inspired by the maestro’s words, I decided to have a go. After experimenting with “Peasant Woman Planting Beets,” I began “Peasant with Sickle, Seen from the Back.” Imagining the front view and carving within 2 cm thick walnut wood was a creative challenge, to put it mildly. The long grass on the front view is there because there wasn’t enough depth to carve the feet properly.