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Two Cows; A Seated Breton Woman [verso]

Paul Gauguin

1886

crayon

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Two Cows; A Seated Breton Woman [verso] is a 1886 crayon 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 two quick, rough drawings on light paper. On the left, two cows stand side by side, their shapes barely filled in with dark lines. On the right, a woman sits in a chair, her face blurred and her hands resting on her lap. The handwriting at the top says *"Les vaches rouges"* (red cows), but these cows are just black. The lines are loose and fast, like the artist was sketching from memory or observation. Try looking up Realism to see how artists used simple lines to show truth over detail.

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