The peasant meal was a favourite subject for painters in the 19th century. In the Netherlands, it gained particular fame through Jozef Israëls. Vincent van Gogh admired the work of this older artist. He called him one of "the peasant painters of this century", in the same breath as Jean-François Millet and Léon-Augustin Lhermitte. Israëls was one of the most popular painters of the Hague School. He mainly painted fishermen and peasants, such as this family at a meal. He depicted the austere interior and simple living conditions in a lovely way. Van Gogh had seen this painting and described it to his brother Theo in March 1882. It possibly inspired him three years later to create his own peasant meal, The Potato Eaters. But instead of Israel's idealised image, Van Gogh painted a raw rendition. In April 1885, he wrote to Theo: 'And it might well turn out to be a REAL peasant painting. i know it is this. But those who prefer to see the peasants sweetly go ahead'.
