Washerwomen, from the "Volpini Suite: Dessins lithographiques"

Washerwomen, from the "Volpini Suite: Dessins lithographiques" is a significant early print created by Paul Gauguin in 1889. This particular impression is a zincograph, a planographic printing technique closely related to lithography, executed on highly distinctive chrome yellow wove paper. As part of the first edition of the suite, the work showcases Gauguin’s growing experimentation with graphic arts and his move away from Impressionist principles. The "Volpini Suite" was produced specifically for an exhibition held at the Café Volpini during the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle, an event intended to establish the artist’s independence from established salon conventions.

The composition depicts a simple rural scene focused on the heavy labor of human figures. Several washerwomen are gathered by a body of water, deeply engaged in their communal chores. Gauguin renders the human figures using bold, simplified contours and flattened forms, emphasizing line over naturalistic shading—a technique central to the Synthetist style he helped to pioneer. The inclusion of animals, likely domestic livestock grazing nearby, firmly roots the image in rustic French reality. Gauguin utilizes the inherent starkness and graphic contrast of the zincograph process to create an iconic image that favors expressive outline rather than detailed realism.

Though controversial upon its initial viewing, this suite of prints proved essential to Gauguin’s development, demonstrating his commitment to printmaking as a major artistic medium. As one of the most important graphic works produced by Gauguin during this transitional period, the piece serves as a foundational study in early modern print history. This work is classified as a print and resides within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), where it contributes to their extensive holdings of late 19th-century French graphic arts. Due to its historical importance, high-resolution scans and prints of this key work are often made available through various public domain initiatives.