Two Cow's Heads [verso]

The work Two Cow's Heads [verso] by Paul Gauguin, created during the transitional years of 1884 to 1888, is an intimate, observational graphite drawing executed on wove paper. Classified simply as a Drawing, this piece functions as a study or preparatory sketch, likely appearing on the reverse side of a more developed composition. Gauguin focuses his attention on the anatomy of the livestock, depicting the raw volume, musculature, and structural form of the two bovine heads with sharp, precise pencil lines.

This French work belongs to the critical period spanning 1876 to 1900, documenting the artist’s movement away from Impressionism toward the Symbolist inclinations that would define his legacy. The mid-1880s were marked by Gauguin’s search for new artistic direction and his increasing reliance on drawing as a means of honing his representational skills before embarking on highly stylized, narrative paintings. Studies of commonplace subjects, even those as utilitarian as animal anatomy, were fundamental to Gauguin’s practice, providing the visual vocabulary necessary for his later, more abstract compositions.

Held in the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art, this drawing provides key documentation of the artist’s early technical mastery and his evolving relationship with natural forms. Despite its modest scale and classification as a sketch, the work offers essential insight into the foundation upon which Gauguin built his career as a Post-Impressionist pioneer. Due to its historical significance and age, high-quality prints and reproductions of the work are often available through museum archives and public domain resources, ensuring continued access for researchers studying Gauguin’s draftsmanship.