Five Sheep; Four Head Studies [verso]

Five Sheep; Four Head Studies [verso] by Paul Gauguin is an insightful example of the artist’s prolific draftsmanship, executed during the pivotal years between 1884 and 1888. This drawing, classified officially as a study, utilized pen and brown ink alongside graphite applied directly to wove paper. Created by the leading French Post-Impressionist master, the work falls squarely within the critical artistic output of the period spanning 1876 to 1900, a time when Gauguin was actively transitioning from a businessman to a dedicated painter and searching for his definitive style.

The subject matter focuses on rural or pastoral imagery, demonstrated by the five sheep rendered on the recto. These figures are drawn with quick, descriptive lines typical of rapid sketching or en plein air studies. The combination of materials is particularly revealing: graphite was likely used for initial structuring and layout, while the brown ink provided defining contours and details, allowing viewers to observe the layered thinking involved in Gauguin’s preparatory stages.

The verso, Four Head Studies, provides an even more intimate look at the artist's process, capturing various angles and expressions of the animal forms. Such detailed studies were essential resources for Gauguin, who often integrated observed forms into more complex narrative or symbolic compositions later in his career. This piece functions as both documentation of observed reality and an inventory of forms, characteristic elements of late 19th-century drawing practice among avant-garde artists.

While Gauguin is most celebrated for the vivid colors and complex Symbolist narratives of his later Tahitian period, this earlier drawing highlights his commitment to mastering traditional, observable subjects. Drawings such as this are invaluable for scholars tracking the development of Gauguin’s formal language and his gradual move away from Impressionistic observation toward Synthetism. Today, this significant work resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., offering vital insight into the evolution of the artist. High-resolution prints of the piece are frequently made available through public domain initiatives associated with the museum, furthering accessibility to works from this crucial period.