Sand Barges on the Rhone - by Vincent van Gogh

This drawing, Sand Barges on the Rhone, was created in the year of 1888 using pencil, reed and quill pens, and black and brown ink. This piece of work was probably done in the exact same spot that he made Starry Night Over the Rhone. Specifically, the scene is situated on the landing-place on the left bank of the Rhone, just a few steps away from van Gogh's studio at the time.

While staying in Arles, Van Gogh Van Gogh hoped to found an artists' community there. He courted Gauguin, who did in fact come to Arles for a short time, and Emile Bernard. Although all the efforts are fruitless, Van Gogh is still obsessed with painting. In a letter to his brother Theo, he wrote this:

Drawing is the root of everything, and the time spent on that is actually all profit."