Boy's Face; Two Sheep [verso]

Art Historical Context

In the National Gallery of Art's Armand Hammer Collection resides a captivating double-sided drawing by Paul Gauguin, titled *Boy's Face; Two Sheep [o]*, created between 1884 and 1888. On the recto, a sensitive portrait of a boy's face reveals Gauguin's early mastery of expression through simple lines, while the verso features two sheep, rendered with a pastoral simplicity that hints at his fascination with rural life. Measuring just 16.9 x 22.6 cm, this intimate work on wove paper showcases both sides in active use—a common practice for artists conserving materials during exploratory sketches. Executed in pen and brown ink with graphite, the piece highlights Gauguin's Post-Impressionist roots in the 1880s, when he abandoned a prosperous stockbroking career in Paris to pursue art full-time. Influenced by mentors like Camille Pissarro, he experimented with bold contours and economical shading, bridging Impressionist spontaneity with the symbolic intensity that would define his later Synthetist style in Brittany and Tahiti. The brown ink lends a warm, earthy tone, evoking the organic subjects and foreshadowing his lifelong quest for primitive authenticity. This drawing offers a rare glimpse into Gauguin's formative years, underscoring his skill as a draftsman before his iconic color experiments. For visitors, it's a testament to how even small studies fueled the revolutionary vision of one of modern art's boldest pioneers.

About the Artist

Paul Gauguin · 1848–1903

Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) was a French Post-Impressionist painter whose bold experiments with color, form, and subject matter made him one of the most influential figures in the transition from 19th-century art to modernism. His rejection of European civilization for the perceived authenticity of 'primitive' cultures established an archetype of artistic exile that continues to resonate. Gauguin's ...