Trees; Sketch of Breton Boy [verso]

Trees; Sketch of Breton Boy [verso] by Paul Gauguin is a significant drawing executed between 1884 and 1888. This piece, classified as a drawing rather than a finished painting, utilizes crayon on wove paper and is preserved as a counterproof. The technique of the counterproof involves pressing an original drawing firmly onto a second sheet, resulting in a mirrored image and a slightly softer, almost ghost-like texture, suggesting this study was used to preserve or disseminate an initial design idea.

The work is categorized within the French tradition of the late 19th century, specifically the period 1876 to 1900. During this time, Gauguin was transitioning away from Impressionism and moving toward the flat, Synthetist style he would later perfect. The side depicting the trees focuses on natural forms and structural composition, while the verso sketch, the portrait of a Breton Boy, reflects Gauguin’s immediate connection to Brittany. This region served as a major creative catalyst for the artist, offering him a source for figures and customs that felt primal and unspoiled, key elements in his search for artistic authenticity.

As a drawing, this piece provides valuable insight into the artist’s preparatory methods and his experiments with line and shadow before applying color. Gauguin utilized such works to quickly capture impressions and explore compositional ideas that would later appear in his major paintings and prints. This important study is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., representing Gauguin’s production during a critical phase of his career. Because many of Gauguin’s exploratory drawings from this era have entered the public domain, they continue to serve as essential reference material for scholars studying the development of Post-Impressionism.