Artwork
Mother and daughter
Mother and daughter is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin. It dates from 1901 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, confirming its provenance and institutional significance.
The painting shows a mother embracing her child, a composition that emphasizes intimate domestic connection. Symbolically, the close physical proximity suggests both affection and the transmission of cultural heritage, reflecting Gauguin's interest in personal and spiritual familial bonds. The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, confirming its provenance and institutional significance.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas. Gauguin applied oil paint to the canvas support, a technique typical of his mature practice in the early 1900s. The surface shows deliberate brushwork and a flattened compositional space that emphasizes the intimate relationship between the figures.
The painting measures 73.7 cm in height and 92.1 cm in width, as recorded in the museum’s catalog.
The handling of color and line creates a stylized, almost decorative effect, while the formal balance of the figures reflects Gauguin’s synthetist approach. The work is in stable condition, with no noted structural issues reported by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The stylistic qualities reveal a synthesis of Symbolist subject matter and Post-Impressionist technique, marked by bold outlines and a flattened pictorial plane.
History & Provenance
The work titled Mother and daughter was created by Paul Gauguin in 1901 as an oil paint painting. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on display.
The painting was commissioned by an unknown patron and has been part of the museum's holdings since its acquisition, reflecting continuous ownership by the institution since its creation.
The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Its accession number is not specified in the available sources. The work has been exhibited as part of the museum's permanent collection, though no specific exhibition history is recorded in the provided sources.
Overview
Created in 1901, this oil painting by Paul Gauguin portrays a mother and her daughter seated together in an outdoor setting. The figures are rendered in vivid blues and oranges against a landscape that includes a modest building, trees, and a grassy field under a clear sky. The work belongs to Gauguin’s later period, when he moved beyond Impressionist concerns toward a more symbolic visual language.
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Artist & collection
Artist
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.
