Portrait of Stéphane Mallarmé

Portrait of Stéphane Mallarmé by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903, executed in 1891, is a significant representation of the deep artistic dialogue between visual art and Symbolist literature prevalent in late 19th-century France. This powerful graphic work was created using a sophisticated combination of printmaking techniques: etching, drypoint, and engraving. The resulting image, rendered in brown-black ink on carefully selected cream Japanese laid paper, showcases the textured lines and rich tonality characteristic of Gauguin's mastery of the medium.

The subject of the portrait is Stéphane Mallarmé, the era's foremost Symbolist poet and a central intellectual figure in French cultural life. Gauguin captures Mallarmé in a state of solemn contemplation, emphasizing the poet's intellectual gravitas rather than a casual likeness. By utilizing the dense, shadowed effects achievable through drypoint, Gauguin was able to visually translate the psychological depth and suggestiveness inherent in the Symbolist aesthetic, which sought to convey emotion and inner reality over external observation.

Gauguin, though primarily known for his post-Impressionist paintings, devoted significant attention to the graphic arts, utilizing the density and depth of etching to explore psychological subjects. Prints like this circulated widely within avant-garde circles, solidifying the connections between artists and literary figures. The work is classified as a Print and resides in the notable collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, serving as an important document of the collaboration between two giants of French Modernism.