1894
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Woman with Figs is a 1894 by Paul Gauguin, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A woman sits on the ground, holding two figs in her lap. She wears a simple dress and a headscarf, her face calm and thoughtful. This is one of only two etchings Gauguin ever made. He drew the scene himself but needed help from a friend to finish the print—etching was new to him. The lines are rough, almost like a sketch, giving it a raw, immediate feel. If you like this, look up *impasto*—a technique where paint is laid on thickly, something Gauguin used in his paintings.
The Woman with Figs is one of only two etchings created by Gauguin and was made in collaboration with his friend Armand Séguin, whose address is inscribed in the upper left of the print. Inexperienced with the medium of etching, Gauguin likely drew the composition himself but relied on his friend to help him with the more technically complex aspects of the process such as laying the ground and biting the plate.
The woman depicted in this print is likely Madeleine Bernard, the sister of Gauguin’s close friend Emile Bernard.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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 pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
