Emil Gauguin as a Child, Wearing a Collared Shirt

"Emil Gauguin as a Child, Wearing a Collared Shirt" is an intimate drawing created by Paul Gauguin between 1875 and 1876. Executed entirely in black crayon, the work captures the artist’s eldest son, Emil, in a reflective, seated pose. This piece dates from a pivotal, yet little-known, period in the artist's career when he was still employed as a successful stockbroker in Paris and pursuing art only as an amateur interest.

The portrait offers valuable insight into the origins of Gauguin’s drafting abilities, utilizing the black crayon to achieve both delicate definition in the facial features and substantial structure in the clothing. The young child is depicted wearing a meticulously rendered collared shirt, typical of formal attire of the era. Gauguin focuses on subtle shading and contour line to give volume to the figure, contrasting the soft, innocent expression of his son with the firmness of the pose.

This early drawing provides a personal glimpse into the family life of the artist during his years living in France. Though Gauguin would later revolutionize painting with his symbolic and chromatic innovations, this piece demonstrates a foundation rooted in traditional portraiture and academic drawing principles. As a classification of Drawing, the work is held in the distinguished collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. High-quality prints of such rare early works are often made available to the public, especially as important historical drawings from the period enter the public domain.