Self-Portrait Dedicated to Carrière
Paul Gauguin, 1888 or 1889
About this artwork
In the late 1880s, Paul Gauguin, a pioneering Post-Impressionist, captured his intense gaze in *Self-Portrait Dedicated to Carrière* (1888 or 1889), an oil on canvas measuring 46.5 x 38.6 cm. This intimate work pays homage to Eugène Carrière, a fellow French artist known for his soft, mystical portraits. Gauguin inscribed the dedication on the canvas, reflecting a moment of artistic camaraderie amid his restless search for new expressive forms. Painted during his time in Brittany, it marks his shift from Impressionism toward Synthetism—a bold style emphasizing flat color planes, strong outlines, and symbolic depth over naturalistic detail. Gauguin's technique here is strikingly direct: heavy contours frame his face like stained glass, while vibrant yet subdued hues evoke inner turmoil and exotic reverie. Self-portraits were a staple for Gauguin, serving as personal manifestos of his evolving identity as he rejected bourgeois life for primal inspiration. This piece foreshadows his later voyages to Tahiti and embrace of Primitivism. Now in the National Gallery of Art's collection, gifted by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, it invites visitors to ponder Gauguin's unyielding vision—a bridge between 19th-century Europe and the modern avant-garde.