Explore the Background of this artwork.
In 1882, Van Gogh's father became pastor in Nuenen and the family lived at the vicarage at Nuenen, a small village in the North Brabant district of the Netherlands.  After a stay in Drenthe for several months, Van Gogh moved to live with his parents in December 1883 and stayed there until May 1885. While in Nuenen Van Gogh worked on character studies of the local peasants.  It was winter and there was little to be done in the fields, so Van Gogh was able to make connections to people through his father, a town minister.  Van Gogh's character studies culminated in his best known painting The Potato Eaters.  Potatoes were a staple of the poor peasant's diet, who could barely afford bread and meat was a luxury.  Potato was a food not fit for those who could afford better in the 19th century. Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish philosopher, deemed the poor "root-eaters".While in Nuenen, Van Gogh made a number of paintings of The Old Church Tower at Nuenen, born of his enjoyment of visiting churches and cemeteries. Vincent was the second child to his parents, born exactly one year after their first baby, still born, also named Vincent. Like other "substitute" children, he regularly visited the site of his sibling's grave.  Vincent's brother was buried in Zundert Groot, but his death may have been an influencing factor in his interest in churches and graveyards.
He also may have been inspired by Jean-François Millet's The Church at Greville.
Drenthe Jean-François Millet's Nuenen Thomas Carlyle Jean-François Millet The Potato Eaters Netherlands North Brabant