Church Tower; A Sketch of a Fan [recto]
1884-1888
![Church Tower; A Sketch of a Fan [recto] by Paul Gauguin](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/nga/thumb/church-tower-a-sketch-of-a-fan-recto-nga-74261.webp)
Medium
graphite on wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 16.9 x 22.6 cm (6 5/8 x 8 7/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
The Armand Hammer Collection
Accession Number
1991.217.63.a
Art Historical Context
Nestled within Paul Gauguin's early explorations as a Post-Impressionist artist, *Church Tower; A Sketch of a Fan [recto]* (1884–1888) captures the artist's keen observational eye during a pivotal transitional phase. Created in graphite on wove paper—a modest yet versatile medium that allowed for quick, expressive lines—this intimate drawing measures just 16.9 x 22.6 cm, revealing Gauguin's habit of sketching spontaneously on both sides of the sheet. The recto features a sturdy church tower alongside a delicate fan outline, blending architectural solidity with everyday ephemera, hallmarks of h...
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 ...