Old Woman Asleep after Rops

Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh created this Old Woman Asleep after Rops in 1873, one of the earliest works in his artistic career. The title acknowledges his admiration for Félicien Rops, the Belgian artist whose work often depicted scenes of social realism. Van Gogh was 20 years old and had not yet fully committed to becoming a painter.

The work shows an elderly woman sleeping, rendered with soft, warm tones. Van Gogh employed a subtle color palette and delicate brushwork to create a sense of intimacy and serenity. The candlelight illuminates the woman's face, foreshadowing his later interest in nocturnal scenes and the effects of artificial light on his subjects.

This painting dates from Van Gogh's years before his artistic career truly began. He was working for the art dealer Goupil & Cie, first in The Hague and then in London. Other works from this early period include sketches of his boarding house in Brixton. The piece demonstrates Van Gogh's early attraction to genre subjects and the lives of ordinary people, themes that would define his mature work. The work currently held in a private collection.