Leda (Cover)

Leda (Cover), dated 1889, is a significant collaborative print by Paul Gauguin and Ambroise Vollard, executed using the lithograph (zinc) technique on imitation Japan paper. This piece demonstrates Gauguin’s deep engagement with the print medium as an experimental outlet during a pivotal phase of his career. Vollard, a crucial figure in the dissemination of French modernist art, acted as the publisher, underscoring the shift toward new models of artistic distribution during the late 19th century.

The work falls squarely within the artistic production of the period 1876 to 1900, an era marked by Post-Impressionist innovation and a rejection of academic realism. Gauguin's prints from this time often exhibit a bold, graphic simplification of form, emphasizing line and pattern over traditional modeling. The choice of the zinc lithographic technique allowed for a direct, expressive application of the drawing, yielding rich, sometimes stark contrasts on the delicate imitation Japan paper. Given the title designation Leda (Cover), this piece likely served as the title page or wrapper for an early portfolio of prints, perhaps related to the celebrated Volpini Suite created the same year.

This experimental approach to printmaking was characteristic of the French culture that sought new visual vocabularies. The involvement of Vollard ensured that the limited edition prints found an audience among collectors receptive to avant-garde art. Today, the work is preserved within the comprehensive collection of the National Gallery of Art. Its availability through major institutions ensures that historical prints such as this are accessible, often entering the public domain to facilitate scholarly study and general appreciation of Gauguin’s diverse output.