Profile Bust of a Man (verso)

1874

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Portrait

About this work

This sketch shows a faint, ghostly face turned in profile. The lines are light and scratchy, almost erased by time. The paper is yellowed and stained, with dark spots and tears along the edges. The drawing feels unfinished, like a quick study rather than a polished work. Gauguin was still learning his craft in the 1870s when he made this. Next, check out Impressionism to see how artists used loose sketches like this to explore light and movement.