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Crouching Monkey and Man's Head; Bones and Muscles [verso]

Paul Gauguin

1886

graphite

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Crouching Monkey and Man's Head; Bones and Muscles [verso] is a 1886 graphite by Paul Gauguin, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Paul Gauguin
When & what style?: 1886 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows quick, loose drawings of a crouching monkey and a man’s face on one side. The other side has a stick-figure-like person with exaggerated bones and muscles, drawn in thin, sketchy lines. The paper is light-colored, and the lines are all in pencil. The monkey is labeled in French as *"c'est un cul de julot"*—a playful phrase that roughly means "it’s a little monkey’s butt." The bones drawing looks like a study of how the body works underneath the skin. If you like these fast, rough sketches, check out Realism for more drawings that focus on truth over polish.

About the artist

Artist

Paul Gauguin

Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (; French: ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements.

See the richer artist page