Pleasures of Brittany (Joies de Bretagne)

Pleasures of Brittany (Joies de Bretagne) is a significant print created by Paul Gauguin; Ambroise Vollard in 1889. This striking work is a lithograph, executed using a zinc plate and printed on delicate imitation Japan paper, characteristic of the high-quality fine art prints disseminated during the later decades of the 19th century. The piece is rooted in the revolutionary movements of French culture spanning the period of 1876 to 1900, when artists broke decisively from academic tradition.

The lithographic technique, utilized jointly by Gauguin and Vollard, allowed for strong textural variations and simplified forms that translate Gauguin’s characteristic Post-Impressionist aesthetic into graphic art. Gauguin, known for his exploration of cloisonnism and flattened perspective, sought authenticity in the rural lives he observed. This piece likely features idealized figures engaged in traditional routines or moments of relaxation, celebrating the supposed purity of Breton existence, a recurring theme preceding the artist's pivotal departure for the South Pacific.

Ambroise Vollard, the highly influential art dealer and publisher, played a crucial role in bringing works like this to a broader audience, emphasizing the power of graphic prints as an independent artistic form. The resulting image exemplifies the dramatic shift toward subjective experience and expressive form that defined the move away from Impressionism toward Symbolism in French art during this era. This important work resides in the distinguished collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., and remains integral to understanding the evolution of modern prints. Due to the historical age and broad acceptance of this style of art, reproductions of similar works from this period are sometimes made available in the public domain.