Artwork

A Grazing Cow; Head of a Woman with Her Hand on Her Cheek, and Head of a Man with His Hand on His Ear [verso]

A Grazing Cow; Head of a Woman with Her Hand on Her Cheek, and Head of a Man with His Hand on His Ear [verso] is an ink drawing by the Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin. It dates from 1886 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1886, Paul Gauguin’s drawing titled *A Grazing Cow; Head of a Woman with Her Hand on Her Cheek, and Head of a Man with His Hand on His Ear* (verso) comprises three separate studies rendered on wove paper. Executed with pen, brown ink and graphite, the work juxtaposes a pastoral animal sketch with two quick portrait studies, offering a glimpse into the artist’s exploratory practice during a formative period.

Subject & Meaning

The leftmost study captures the profile of a cow, its horns and neck suggested by fluid, wavering lines that convey movement rather than precise anatomy.

The leftmost study captures the profile of a cow, its horns and neck suggested by fluid, wavering lines that convey movement rather than precise anatomy. To the right, Gauguin rendered a woman’s face, hand resting lightly on her cheek, and a man’s profile, hand placed at his ear, each gesture hinting at introspection or listening. The combination of animal and human figures reflects the artist’s interest in diverse visual motifs and the symbolic potential of everyday subjects.

Technique & Style

Working with brown ink and graphite, Gauguin employed swift, gestural strokes that prioritize the capture of form over detailed rendering. The lines are deliberately loose, allowing the paper’s surface to remain visible and giving the studies a sketch-like immediacy. This approach aligns with the Synthetist tendencies emerging in his circle, where compositional clarity and symbolic resonance were favored over strict naturalistic depiction.

History & Provenance

The drawing belongs to Gauguin’s early oeuvre, produced shortly after his involvement with Post‑Impressionist and Symbolist circles in Paris. Though not intended as a finished piece, the studies reveal his experimental process during a time when he was refining a style that would later influence his more elaborate works. The paper’s verso placement suggests it functioned as a working sheet, later preserved as part of the artist’s archival material.

Artist & collection

Artist

Paul Gauguin

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.