Twee varkens en een hand

The drawing Twee varkens en een hand by Paul Gauguin is an expressive study executed in pencil on paper, categorized formally as a Drawing. While the specific date of creation is often difficult to ascertain for preparatory sketches, this work falls within the major period of the artist's life and career, spanning 1858-1903.

Executed on paper using pencil, this intimate study demonstrates Gauguin’s rapid drafting skill. The composition centers on the two main animal subjects, likely sketched from life, exhibiting heavy, rounded forms characteristic of domestic pigs. The third element, a single detached hand, suggests an observational note or an early compositional concept for a larger work, perhaps linking the animals to a figure not yet fully realized. This contrast between the quick representation of the living subjects and the symbolic inclusion of the human hand offers a keyhole view into Gauguin’s method of gathering visual elements for his Post-Impressionist vocabulary, where nature and the primitive played central roles.

Although Gauguin is most celebrated for his bold use of color in oil paintings from his time in Brittany and the South Pacific, works like this drawing provide essential insight into his foundational skills and visual concerns before color was applied. The Rijksmuseum holds this piece within its extensive collection of drawings and prints, preserving the artistic process of one of the 19th century’s most influential figures. Due to its age and status in institutional collections, detailed images of this drawing are often made available through the public domain, allowing enthusiasts and scholars worldwide to study the piece or create archival-quality art prints of Gauguin’s preliminary work.