Three Studies of a Man Wearing a Hat [recto]

Art Historical Context

Paul Gauguin's *Three Studies of a Man Wearing a Hat [recto]*, created between 1884 and 1888, offers a into the artist's early exploratory phase. During this period, Gaug, a former stockbroker turned full-time painter, was breaking away from Impressionism toward the bold colors and symbolic forms of Post-Impressionism. These three quick sketches on a modest sheet of wove paper capture a hat-wearing figure from different angles, likely drawn from life or memory, Gauguin's fascination with human and simplified contours. Rendered in crayon—a versatile medium allowing for vibrant hues and fluid lines on the smooth texture of wove paper—these studies highlight Gauguin's skill in rapid, economical drawing. At just 16.9 x 11.7 cm, the intimate scale suggests it was a personal sketchbook page, used for honing ideas before larger oils. Such preparatory works were crucial in Gauguin's process, bridging his Parisian studio experiments with later ventures to Brittany and Tahiti. Now part of The Armand Hammer Collection at the National Gallery of Art, this drawing reveals the groundwork of a revolutionary artist whose influence reshaped modern art, emphasizing emotion over mere observation. Visitors will appreciate its raw energy and the hat's everyday charm as a window into 19th-century life.

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 ...