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Seated Breton Woman by Paul Gauguin

Seated Breton Woman

Paul Gauguin · 1886

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“Stop to appreciate the quiet dignity of this Breton woman, captured with striking simplicity. The artist's use of chalk and pastel creates a powerful, almost sculptural portrait that draws you into her contemplative world.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

A woman in traditional Breton dress sits pensively, her head tilted slightly, her gaze cast downwards. This work, rendered with black chalk and pastel, captures a quiet moment, emphasizing the texture of her cap and the folds of her apron. The heavy, dark lines of the chalk give her figure a sculptural presence, while subtle touches of pastel hint at the color of her clothing and the light on her face. Created in 1886, this drawing reflects a period when the artist was exploring a more simplified, less overtly Impressionistic style, focusing on the essential forms and emotional resonance of his subjects. The starkness of the medium lends a timeless quality to the scene, inviting contemplation of the woman's inner world.

DETAILS
Artist
Paul Gauguin
Date
1886
Medium
Black fabricated chalk with pastel on ivory laid paper
Location
Art Institute of Chicago
Dimensions
32.9 × 48.3 cm (13 × 19 1/16 in.)
Collection
Prints and Drawings
Culture
France
Credit line
Mr. and Mrs. Carter H. Harrison Collection
ART MOVEMENTS
ImpressionismPost-ImpressionismSymbolism
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What to Notice

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Seated Breton Woman

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01

Bowed head and cap

Start at the upper left, where the woman's head drops into a soft cap and a draped cloth. Her face is hidden from view, so the bowed pose carries the mood.

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02

Dotted shawl texture

Look at the pale shawl at the top center, patterned with short dashes of chalk. A few quick marks suggest a woven or printed cloth.

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03

Touches of red and orange

Small patches of orange and red pastel show between the folds near the center. They are the only strong color on a mostly gray page.

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04

The heavy sleeve

The dark sleeve sweeps diagonally from the shoulder down to the lower right, a bold shape that anchors the folded body and pulls the eye downward.

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05

The floating hand

At the right, a lightly drawn hand and cuff sit alone on the page. It reads as a separate study, set apart from the main figure.

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THE ARTIST

Paul Gauguin

1848–1903 · France

Paul Gauguin, the French Post-Impressionist, abandoned a stockbroker's life for art, famously seeking 'refuge from Western civilization' in Tahiti.

Read Gauguin’s full story
MORE FROM THIS ARTIST

Further Works by Gauguin

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Still Life: Wood Tankard and Metal Pitcher Still Life: Wood Tankard and Metal Pitcher 1880 · Art Institute of Chicago Two Tahitian Women in a Landscape Two Tahitian Women in a Landscape 1887 · Art Institute of Chicago Arlésiennes (Mistral) Arlésiennes (Mistral) 1888 · Art Institute of Chicago Woman in Front of a Still Life by Cezanne Woman in Front of a Still Life by Cezanne 1890 · Art Institute of Chicago Te raau rahi (The Big Tree) Te raau rahi (The Big Tree) 1891 · Art Institute of Chicago Te burao (The Hibiscus Tree) Te burao (The Hibiscus Tree) 1892 · Art Institute of Chicago Merahi metua no Tehamana (Tehamana Has Many Parents or The Ancestors of Tehamana) Merahi metua no Tehamana (Tehamana Has Many Parents or The Ancestors of Tehamana) 1893 · Art Institute of Chicago Aha oe feii? (What! Are You Jealous?) Aha oe feii? (What! Are You Jealous?) 1894 · Art Institute of Chicago
EXPLORE THE MOVEMENT

More from Symbolism

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Beata Beatrix Beata Beatrix Rossetti · 1877 · Birmingham Museums Trust Potted Plant Potted Plant Munch · 1881 · Munch Museum Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago Portrait of a Lady in a High Hat Portrait of a Lady in a High Hat Klimt · 1882 · Art Institute of Chicago
KEEP EXPLORING

More works to explore

Beyond Gauguin and Symbolism: works from the same years, and from the other movements Seated Breton Woman belongs to.

Equestrienne (At the Cirque Fernando) Same movement · Post-Impressionism Equestrienne (At the Cirque Fernando) Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1887 · Art Institute of Chicago A Woman Walking in a Garden Same era · 1870s–1900s A Woman Walking in a Garden Vincent van Gogh · 1887 · Frans Buffa & sons After the Bullfight Same movement · Impressionism After the Bullfight Mary Cassatt · 1873 · Art Institute of Chicago A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884 Same era · 1870s–1900s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884 Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago A Turn in the Road Same movement · Impressionism A Turn in the Road Alfred Sisley · 1873 · Art Institute of Chicago Madame Léon Clapisson Same era · 1870s–1900s Madame Léon Clapisson Léon-Victor Dupré · 1883 · Art Institute of Chicago Gustave Boyer (b. 1840) in a Straw Hat Same movement · Post-Impressionism Gustave Boyer (b. 1840) in a Straw Hat Paul Cézanne · 1870 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Paris Street; Rainy Day Same era · 1870s–1900s Paris Street; Rainy Day Kawabata Gyokushō · 1877 · Art Institute of Chicago
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