Volpini Suite: Old Women of Arles (Les Vieilles Filles [Arles])

Created in 1889, this zincograph is part of Gauguin's groundbreaking Volpini Suite, a series of prints exhibited at the Café des Arts (Café Volpini) during the Paris Universal Exhibition. The suite marked a pivotal moment in printmaking, showcasing Gauguin's bold departure from traditional techniques. This particular work depicts elderly women in Arles, reflecting Gauguin's time in southern France where he briefly worked alongside Vincent van Gogh in 1888. The subject matter reveals Gauguin's interest in capturing the character of provincial French life, particularly in Brittany and Provence, before his escape to Tahiti in 1891.

The zincograph medium allowed Gauguin to achieve the flat, bold areas of color and simplified forms that would become hallmarks of his Synthetist style—a movement he pioneered that emphasized two-dimensional patterns and symbolic content over naturalistic representation. Unlike traditional lithography, working on zinc plates gave him greater freedom to experiment with the graphic qualities that aligned with his Post-Impressionist vision. This print exemplifies the aesthetic principles Gauguin was developing during this crucial transitional period: the rejection of Impressionist naturalism in favor of emotional expression through simplified forms, strong outlines reminiscent of cloisonnism, and a decorative sensibility that would profoundly influence modern art and artists like Picasso and Matisse.