A Breton Boy with a Jug; Five Animal Forms [verso]

"A Breton Boy with a Jug; Five Animal Forms [verso]" is a distinctive double-sided drawing created by Paul Gauguin between 1884 and 1888. This important transitional work, executed primarily in crayon and graphite on wove paper, showcases the artist’s commitment to draughtsmanship before his full embrace of Symbolism and Synthetism. The primary side depicts a young boy holding a large ceramic jug, a figure characteristic of the local populace in Brittany, where Gauguin frequently sought inspiration for compositions rooted in rural life and tradition. The study demonstrates the precision Gauguin used in defining contours and capturing the stark realism of his models during this pivotal time.

Dating to the crucial period spanning 1876 to 1900, the drawing exemplifies the rapid changes occurring within French Post-Impressionism. Gauguin’s sustained reliance on the drawing medium, evident in the methodical application of graphite, allowed him to resolve formal problems and structure figures before committing to larger painted works. The choice of subject matter reflects his deliberate rejection of modern Parisian aesthetics, favoring instead the perceived primitivism and spiritual purity of the Breton people.

The reverse side of the sheet contains a separate, less defined composition titled Five Animal Forms. These spontaneous sketches, rendered in the same materials, provide valuable archival insight into the artist’s exploratory method, suggesting preliminary ideas or studies in form. This comprehensive piece is held within the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it serves as a critical document of Gauguin's development. As a significant French contribution to the era of late nineteenth-century art, the detailed drawing ensures its availability to researchers and the wider public, often appearing in publications and high-quality prints distributed through public domain resources.