Change of Residence (Changement de résidence)

Change of Residence (Changement de résidence) by Paul Gauguin, created in 1901, is a significant example of the artist's late experimental approach to printmaking. Classified technically as a print, the work utilizes the unique and intimate process of the oil transfer drawing, a type of monotype. This technique involves drawing directly onto a prepared sheet of paper covered with pigment or oil paint, then pressing it onto a second sheet to transfer the image. The resulting texture is distinct, often characterized by broken lines, blurred forms, and an atmospheric density that separates it from traditional etching or woodcut prints. This spontaneous method allowed Gauguin great freedom in controlling color saturation and surface quality.

This piece belongs to the final, intense phase of Gauguin’s career, spanning the crucial period of 1901–02, when the French artist was living permanently in the Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific. While the explicit subject matter of Change of Residence is abstractly titled, it likely reflects the continuous movement and physical dislocation that marked the final years of the Symbolist master’s life. Gauguin's prolific exploration of printmaking during this period was intense; he sought new ways to communicate complex emotional and psychological states, often creating highly personal, sometimes brooding, meditations on his existence away from European society.

As part of his comprehensive graphic output, this piece demonstrates Gauguin’s enduring interest in utilizing reproducible media, even while applying a monotype process that renders each pulled image unique. The classification of the work as a print underscores its importance within the history of graphic arts at the turn of the century. Today, this highly important oil transfer drawing is housed in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), ensuring its preservation and study alongside other pivotal works from the French modernist tradition. Although these original prints remain unique and rare, the widespread dissemination of images from this period often leads to their inclusion in digital public domain archives, further cementing Gauguin’s profound legacy.