Emil Gauguin as a Child, Wearing a Collared Shirt
1876
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1876
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This sketch shows a young boy with curly hair and a serious expression. He’s wearing a collared shirt with a high neck, drawn in quick, rough lines. The paper looks old and yellowed, and the drawing is simple—just dark marks against a light background. The artist made this when the boy was around 10 years old. Gauguin’s own son, Emil, posed for it. The loose, sketchy style feels more like a quick note than a finished portrait. Next, check out Realism to see how other artists used plain, everyday subjects like this.
