Profile of a Boy and Self-Portrait [recto]

Profile of a Boy and Self-Portrait [recto] is a compelling drawing by Paul Gauguin, executed in pen and brown ink on wove paper during the period spanning 1884 to 1888. This work presents two distinct figurative studies merged onto a single sheet: a preparatory self-portrait sketch of the artist and the observed profile of an unidentified young boy.

Created during a pivotal transition phase, this drawing offers valuable insight into Gauguin’s artistic process as he navigated the shift from Impressionism towards the Symbolism and synthesized forms of Post-Impressionism. The artist’s deft handling of the pen is evident in the precise, yet vigorous, hatching used to define contours, shadow, and facial features. The choice of brown ink lends a warmth and depth, emphasizing the volumetric quality of the heads, particularly the concentrated gaze of the self-portrait.

This French work, produced during the height of late 19th-century artistic innovation (the period spanning 1876 to 1900), captures the immediate and intimate nature of preparatory sketches. Gauguin frequently utilized drawings for rapid note-taking, experimenting with poses and expressions that would later inform his larger paintings and sculptures. The juxtaposition of the artist's own image with that of an unrelated sitter suggests the drawing served simultaneously as introspection and observational practice, essential components of his emerging style.

As an original drawing, this piece provides unfiltered access to the private working methods of the artist. The work is classified within the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art. Because of its historical importance and its presence in a major institutional holding, documentation of this influential French masterwork, including fine art prints, are often made accessible to researchers and the wider public, sometimes falling under resources designated for public domain assets.