Volpini Suite: Women Washing Clothes (verso)

Volpini Suite: Women Washing Clothes (verso) by Paul Gauguin, created between 1893 and 1894, is a significant example of the artist’s prolific and experimental career in printmaking. This particular impression is a zincograph, executed on distinctly yellow paper, emphasizing the warm, intimate atmosphere of the domestic scene depicted.

The piece belongs to a broader group of experimental transfer lithographs, often referred to collectively as the Volpini Suite, stemming from the period following Gauguin’s return from the South Seas and his growing stature within the avant-garde. Zincography, a planographic printing method similar to lithography, allowed Gauguin to achieve the bold, flattened areas of tone and strong, dark outlines that define his developing Symbolist aesthetic. The print focuses on the mundane subject of women engaged in the everyday task of washing clothes, a theme common among French Post-Impressionist artists seeking to valorize simple, non-urban existence.

As a leading figure in the French art world of the late 19th century, Gauguin frequently employed graphic arts mediums to disseminate his stylistic innovations. This work showcases his commitment to expressive rather than realistic representation, using line and tonality to evoke emotional content. This important historical print, representative of Gauguin's exploratory approach to graphic arts during his most influential years, is held in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Works of this period are highly studied, and reproductions of such prints are frequently shared through public domain initiatives for academic research.