Open full image Pin

Manuscript Pages [recto]

Paul Gauguin

1886

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century writing

Dominant colour

Manuscript Pages [recto] is a 1886 ink by Paul Gauguin, a Impressionism work, depicting writing, 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 looks like a messy page of handwriting and quick sketches. You see notes, arrows, and a few small drawings squished into the corners. The brown ink is uneven, like Gauguin was thinking fast while he wrote. It’s not polished or planned. That’s the point—this was for his eyes only, not a gallery. He used loose cross-hatching to shade tiny figures, a trick he picked up early. Check out Gauguin’s bold colors next.