Viaticum

Charles De Groux preferred to portray the laborious life of farmers and blue-collar workers. His socially-inspired realism often has a religious slant, as is the case in Prayer before Dinner and Viaticum (The last rites). De Groux painted several versions of both works. The melancholy and the expression of De Groux’s empathy with repressed individuals in society greatly impressed Vincent…

Charles De Groux preferred to portray the laborious life of farmers and blue-collar workers. His socially-inspired realism often has a religious slant, as is the case in Prayer before Dinner and Viaticum (The last rites). De Groux painted several versions of both works. The melancholy and the expression of De Groux’s empathy with repressed individuals in society greatly impressed Vincent van Gogh. The Dutch painter based his Potato Eaters of 1885 on De Groux’s Prayer before Dinner.