Human Misery, from the "Volpini Suite: Dessins lithographiques"

Human Misery, from the "Volpini Suite: Dessins lithographiques" is a significant early print created by Paul Gauguin in 1889. This zincograph, a type of lithography utilizing a zinc plate instead of traditional limestone, was produced during a crucial period in the artist's Post-Impressionist development, when he was actively moving away from traditional European naturalism. This specific impression is from the rare first edition of the Volpini Suite, distinguished by its brown ink printed upon a highly characteristic and vibrant chrome yellow wove paper. The suite was created and exhibited by Gauguin at the Café Volpini in Paris, forming a pivotal moment in the dissemination of his new symbolic aesthetic.

The composition centers on the difficult themes suggested by the title, featuring solitary figures in various attitudes of contemplation. Gauguin depicts both men and women stylized and integrated into a stark landscape that conveys psychological isolation and sadness. The stark linear quality, combined with the jarring, acidic color of the paper support, emphasizes the raw emotional depth of the subject matter. Unlike his later, more colorful oil paintings, the graphic intensity of this print allows the artist to explore complex emotional states with immediate force.

This print, along with other seminal works by the artist, is housed within the renowned collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a rare and early example of Gauguin's experiments in prints, the work holds high scholarly value for understanding his transition toward Symbolism. Many of Gauguin's seminal 19th-century prints are now considered part of the public domain, providing broad access to the graphic expressions that defined the trajectory of Post-Impressionism.