Artwork
Five Sheep; Four Head Studies [verso]
![Five Sheep; Four Head Studies [verso], by Paul Gauguin, ink, 1886](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/paul-gauguin--five-sheep-four-head-studies-verso--c7b13148bfdbb0ae-w1024.webp)
Five Sheep; Four Head Studies [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
Paul Gauguin produced this double-sided drawing in 1886. Executed with brown ink and graphite on wove paper, the sheet contains two complementary studies: a group of five sheep arranged in varied poses on the left, and four isolated head studies on the right. The work exemplifies Gauguin’s practice of quick, observational sketches during a formative phase of his career.
Subject & Meaning
The left-hand composition records five sheep positioned in a loose, rhythmic pattern, two looking to the right and three to the left, suggesting movement across the landscape. The reverse side isolates four animal heads, three turned outward and one inward, allowing the artist to investigate facial structure and expression separate from the full figure.
Technique & Style
Rendered with fine brown ink lines complemented by graphite shading, Gauguin employs cross‑hatching and varied line weight to suggest volume and texture. The use of wove paper provides a smooth surface that accentuates the precision of his contour work, while the economical drawing style reflects his interest in distilling form to essential lines.
History & Provenance
Created during Gauguin’s early post‑Impressionist period, the drawing predates his later Tahitian oeuvre and marks a stage when he was refining a personal visual language. The sheet has remained in private collections before entering a museum holding of 19th‑century drawings, where it is catalogued as a study of animal anatomy.
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.
![Five Studies of Heads; A Boy in Profile with Studies of Hands and Feet [verso], by Paul Gauguin](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/paul-gauguin--five-studies-of-heads-a-boy-in-profile-with-studies-of-hands--71c9c87fde7c63ab-w320.webp)
Five Studies of Heads; A Boy in Profile with Studies of Hands and Feet [verso]![Crouching Monkey and Man's Head; Bones and Muscles [verso], by Paul Gauguin](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/paul-gauguin--crouching-monkey-and-man-s-head-bones-and-muscles-verso--6ce66c8fb6bba7c2-w320.webp)
Crouching Monkey and Man's Head; Bones and Muscles [verso]![Eye and Part of Face; A Breton Woman and Two Men [recto], by Paul Gauguin](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/paul-gauguin--eye-and-part-of-face-a-breton-woman-and-two-men-recto--81c9125f35b9b9e6-w320.webp)
Eye and Part of Face; A Breton Woman and Two Men [recto]![A Caricature and Five Forms; A Man in Profile, a Winged Creature and a Boy [verso], by Paul Gauguin](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/paul-gauguin--a-caricature-and-five-forms-a-man-in-profile-a-winged-creatu--ba33d39de90d54d7-w320.webp)
A Caricature and Five Forms; A Man in Profile, a Winged Creature and a Boy [verso]![Boy's Face; Two Sheep [verso], by Paul Gauguin](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/paul-gauguin--boy-s-face-two-sheep-verso--dc41a7e795977a82-w320.webp)
Boy's Face; Two Sheep [verso]![Five Sheep; Head of a Woman and Head of a Bearded Man [recto], by Paul Gauguin](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/paul-gauguin--five-sheep-head-of-a-woman-and-head-of-a-bearded-man-recto--b52e1d9f193e7f08-w320.webp)
Five Sheep; Head of a Woman and Head of a Bearded Man [recto]
Seated Figure and a Cow; Three Studies of a Child's Head