Manuscript Pages [recto]

Manuscript Pages [recto] by Paul Gauguin, executed between 1884 and 1888, offers a unique insight into the artist’s working process during a pivotal and transitional phase of his career. Classified simply as a drawing, the work is rendered using pen and brown ink upon wove paper, signaling its function as a preparatory or working document rather than a formal presentation piece. This period, spanning the late nineteenth century from 1876 to 1900, was crucial for the French post-Impressionist movement, during which Gauguin played a central role as he shifted dramatically away from the Impressionist sensibilities of Paris toward a more symbolic and structured vocabulary.

The medium itself—a simple page of notes—is a valuable historical artifact, revealing Gauguin’s intellectual exploration during the mid-to-late 1880s, a time when he was deeply engaged with theories concerning color, form, and the expressive potential of non-Western art. The ink drawing indicates that Gauguin was recording stray thoughts, calculations, or compositional ideas meant strictly for personal reference. Gauguin’s intense experimentation during this defined period placed him among the foremost figures defining modern French art. These preliminary works are essential for understanding the structure of his theoretical thinking before his celebrated departure for the South Seas. The significance of preserving these intimate documents is underscored by their inclusion in the prestigious collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

While Gauguin’s public fame rests on his bold, post-Synthetist paintings, this drawing emphasizes his fundamental skill in drafting and his reliance on complex written and visual notes. As a historical resource, Manuscript Pages [recto] provides researchers and admirers with direct access to the complex creative methodologies of the artist. Because the NGA often makes high-resolution images of its collection available, high-quality digital reproductions, including fine art prints, allow students and collectors worldwide to study these early preparatory pages. The growing accessibility of such works through the public domain ensures that Gauguin’s meticulous and complex artistic journey remains fully transparent for future scholarship.