The Drinkers

At Saint-Paul asylum in Saint-Rémy, Van Gogh translated works he admired into paintings. A wood engraving after Daumier supplied the composition for The Drinkers in 1890. The museum explains that an existing design freed him to concentrate on interpretation, giving a monochrome image a new colour system and strongly worked surface.

The central man raises a glass, his greenish face surrounded by a dark top hat and curling clothing folds. Exaggerated forms derive from the satirical source, while their colouring and thick execution belong to Van Gogh’s new treatment.

At the left, a man tilts his mug with a bent arm. His large profile and long coat contrast with the compact central figure. Repeated drinking gestures unite the characters, while differing angles of vessels and bodies create a sequence of movements across the canvas.

The younger character at the right tilts his head back. Blue clothing meets red hair and a light glass. The museum identifies the original design as a parody of the four ages of man. Age differences and repeated action turn a domestic scene into satirical generalization.

The child barely reaches the table and also drinks. Light clothing contrasts with its green surface. Completing the sequence of ages, this small figure extends adult behaviour into childhood and clarifies the disturbing aspect of Daumier’s humour preserved by Van Gogh.

A green jug stands before the central figure, relating to the table, faces and vegetation. The museum suggests that the greenish palette may allude to absinthe. This remains an interpretation rather than an established identification of the drink, which the vessels alone cannot provide.

Copying becomes an independent artistic activity here. Van Gogh preserves Daumier’s satire while changing its perception through colour and brushwork. The museum reads the subject as a condemnation of alcoholism. The repeated action across ages reveals humour and social criticism coexisting within an apparently simple gathering at a table.