The Noordbrabants Museum in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, opens a focused exhibition titled "Van Gogh and the Potato" on 11 October, running until 1 February 2026. The show features five Van Gogh paintings, two drawings, and a print centered on the potato, including "Still life with Potatoes" (autumn 1886) and "Head of a Woman (Gordina de Groot)" (March-April 1885). Curators have re-dated the former from 1885 in Nuenen to 1886 in Paris based on a French casserole and canvas stamp. The exhibition also includes a lithograph after "The Potato Eaters" and an important study for that masterpiece, acquired by the museum for €8.6 million last year.
The exhibition matters because it explores a lesser-known but deeply symbolic subject in Van Gogh's oeuvre—the potato as "peasant gold"—highlighting his empathy for rural life and his shift from dark, earthy tones to the bright colors of Impressionism after moving to Paris. It also showcases the Noordbrabants Museum's ambitious acquisition and its role as a regional hub for Van Gogh scholarship, with upcoming exhibitions on his influence on Dutch artists Jan Sluijters and Suze Robertson. The show underscores how a humble vegetable can illuminate major themes in art history, from social realism to market dynamics.