Head of a Man with a Study of His Back; Various Sketches with a Peasant Woman and a Goose [recto]

The drawing, Head of a Man with a Study of His Back; Various Sketches with a Peasant Woman and a Goose [recto], was created by Paul Gauguin between 1884 and 1888. This piece is a rich example of the French artist's preparatory methods during the dynamic period of 1876 to 1900, reflecting the stylistic transitions occurring in Post-Impressionist art. Executed primarily in graphite and crayon on wove paper, the work showcases Gauguin’s immediate draftsmanship and observational interests.

The composition is typical of an artist's working sheet, featuring multiple, disconnected figure studies rather than a singular, unified scene. Dominating the sheet are focused anatomical examinations, including the carefully rendered head of a man positioned alongside a separate, cropped view detailing the musculature of his back. These precise studies are interspersed with looser, anecdotal vignettes, most notably a rendering of a peasant woman accompanied by a goose. Such varied sketches highlight Gauguin’s interest in documenting the human form and rural life, themes he would later elevate in his mature paintings executed in Brittany and, subsequently, the South Seas.

As a leading French artist working on the cusp of Symbolism, Gauguin used drawing to explore and refine potential motifs before committing them to canvas. Although classified simply as a drawing, this piece provides crucial insight into the preliminary development of his visual language. The preservation of these detailed working sheets is essential for understanding the genesis of Gauguin's style during a crucial transformative decade. This work resides in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, offering scholars direct access to the artist's creative process. While the original drawing is unique, many of Gauguin’s iconic compositions from this era are entering the public domain, making high-quality fine art prints widely accessible globally.