Breton Bathers, from the Volpini Suite

Breton Bathers, from the Volpini Suite by Paul Gauguin (French, 1848-1903), executed in 1889, is a critical work illustrating the artist's foundational shift away from Impressionism toward Synthetism. This striking print is a zincograph rendered in black ink on distinct chrome yellow wove paper, a deliberate choice that maximizes contrast and imparts an intense, almost graphic energy to the subject.

The creation of the Volpini Suite marks a pivotal moment in the history of French art. The set of eleven works was produced for Gauguin’s independent exhibition held at the Café des Arts, managed by Monsieur Volpini, coinciding with the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Although the exhibition was not commercially successful at the time, these prints served as crucial manifestos defining the principles of Synthetism: simplified forms, bold outlines, and the symbolic use of color, even when limited to monochrome.

The subject, drawing upon the regional culture of Brittany where Gauguin frequently retreated, depicts figures engaged in bathing rituals. Gauguin avoids descriptive naturalism, instead using the stark graphic qualities of the zincograph medium to emphasize heavy contours and flattened planes. The composition features rhythmic, undulating curves that articulate the bathers’ forms against a suppressed background, prioritizing emotional and structural essence over visual verisimilitude. The deliberate coarseness of the printing process reinforces the primitive, simplified aesthetic the artist was pursuing.

This significant transitional work, exemplifying the development of modern prints in France, resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The piece provides essential insight into the technical experimentation and stylistic goals Gauguin pursued prior to his defining period in Tahiti.