What do Van Gogh’s sowers symbolize?

Vincent van Gogh's paintings and drawings of sowers symbolize the eternal cycle of nature and of agricultural life. As a sower of God’s word they also have a religious meaning.

Today 133 years ago, on or about 29 October 1888,

Vincent van Gogh wrote to Theo from Arles:

"I don’t yet know what Gauguin thinks about my decoration in general; I only know that there are some studies that he really does like, namely, the Sower, the Sunflowers, the Bedroom.”

and:

"I dare believe that you’ll like the new Sower. I’m writing in haste, we have heaps of work. He and I plan to go to the brothels a lot, but only to study them."

The Sower
Arles, 1888
Oil on canvas
72 x 91 cm
Hahnloser/Jäggli Stiftung, Villa Flora, Winterthur, Switzerland

You may also like to read:

• Van Gogh and Millet

Van Gogh's 'The Sower'

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