Artwork
Madame Alexandre Kohler
Madame Alexandre Kohler is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin. It dates from 1888 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: P Gauguin
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Painted by Paul Gauguin in 1888, the image captures the sitter in a straightforward, realistic manner consistent with the artist's early portraiture.
The work is a portrait of Madame Alexandre Kohler, identified as a neighbor of the Schuffenecker family in Paris. Painted by Paul Gauguin in 1888, the image captures the sitter in a straightforward, realistic manner consistent with the artist's early portraiture. The painting's primary meaning lies in its personal history: it was a direct gift from the artist to the sitter, reflecting a connection between Gauguin and his immediate social circle. No additional symbolic elements or complex iconography are documented in the available records regarding this specific depiction.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on linen, the portrait measures 46.3 cm in height by 38 cm in width. The handling shows Gauguin's characteristic simplification of form, with broad, flat areas of color and restrained modeling that flatten the figure's volume. The sitter's face is rendered with minimal chiaroscuro, emphasizing planar structure over naturalistic volume.
The palette is subdued, dominated by earth tones punctuated by muted greens and ochres, aligning with Gauguin's contemporaneous Pont-Aven phase. The composition's directness and the sitter's frontal pose contribute to a sober presence.
History & Provenance
Paul Gauguin painted Madame Alexandre Kohler in 1888. The artist originally gifted the work directly to the sitter, Mme Kohler, who was a neighbor of the Schuffenecker family. By 1906, the painting was likely in the possession of Amédée Schuffenecker, having potentially passed through the collection of his brother, Claude-Émile Schuffenecker, before being sold by Amédée as a dealer.
The work was exhibited in Frankfurt that same year. It later entered the collection of Léon Pédron in Le Havre before being sold at a Paris auction on June 2, 1926. Galerie L. Dru of Paris purchased the piece for 15,000 francs and subsequently sold it to Chester Dale in New York on June 6, 1926. Dale bequeathed the painting to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1963.
Context
Madame Alexandre Kohler, an oil-on-linen portrait completed by Paul Gauguin in 1888, remained with the sitter before entering the collection of Amédée Schuffenecker by 1906, when it was exhibited and offered for sale in Frankfurt. The work subsequently passed through the hands of Léon Pédron in Le Havre, appearing at auction in Paris on 2 June 1926 (lot 23) where it fetched ff 15,000 and was acquired by Galerie L. Dru; the same day it was sold to Chester Dale of New York. Dale's bequest brought the painting to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 1963.
Overview
Paul Gauguin's 1888 oil on linen portrait, Madame Alexandre Kohler, exemplifies his transition from Impressionism. This work captures the sitter with a developing Post-Impressionist sensibility, where the artist began to prioritize symbolic expression over strict naturalism. It showcases the early stages of his distinctive approach to color and form, moving towards a more personal interpretation of reality.
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Artist & collection
Artist
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.
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