Artwork
Profile of a Boy and Self-Portrait [recto]
![Profile of a Boy and Self-Portrait [recto], by Paul Gauguin, ink, 1885](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/paul-gauguin--profile-of-a-boy-and-self-portrait-recto--02ac582038ff6ec2-w1024.webp)
Profile of a Boy and Self-Portrait [recto] is an ink drawing by the Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin. It dates from 1885 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1885, this drawing by Paul Gauguin consists of two juxtaposed portraits rendered in pen and brown ink on wove paper. The upper image presents a young boy in profile, eyes gently closed, while the lower image shows the artist himself, bearded and older, reflected in a hand‑held mirror. Both figures are rendered with swift, economical lines that emphasize silhouette over detail.
Subject & Meaning
The work pairs a youthful, serene profile with Gauguin’s own self‑portrait, suggesting a contemplation of age, identity, and the passage of time. The boy’s closed eyes convey a state of repose or introspection, while the mirrored self‑image invites the viewer to consider the artist’s self‑perception and the relationship between the observer and the observed.
Technique & Style
Gauguin employs a loose, gestural line quality, relying on cross‑hatching to suggest volume and shadow, particularly around the eyes and jawline. The overlapping strokes create darker tonal areas without any wash or coloration, aligning the drawing with the Synthetist emphasis on simplified forms and expressive line work characteristic of his early post‑Impressionist period.
History & Provenance
The drawing originates from Gauguin’s Parisian period, a time when he was experimenting with drawing as a means of rapid visual study. Its precise ownership trail is not fully documented, but the piece is recognized as part of the artist’s early oeuvre, illustrating his developing interest in self‑representation and the study of human profile.
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.
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Five Sheep; Head of a Woman and Head of a Bearded Man [recto]![Two Studies of a Child's Head; Two Studies of a Child's Head, a Woman in Profile, and a Man Wrestling an Animal [recto], by Paul Gauguin](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/paul-gauguin--two-studies-of-a-child-s-head-two-studies-of-a-child-s-head--6667f6008af9d50c-w320.webp)
Two Studies of a Child's Head; Two Studies of a Child's Head, a Woman in Profile, and a Man Wrestling an Animal [recto]
Two Heads
Studies of Jean
Sketch of a Blacksmith
Petit portrait
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Eye and Part of Face; A Breton Woman and Two Men [recto]![Two Heads; Studies of Sheep [recto], by Paul Gauguin](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/paul-gauguin--two-heads-studies-of-sheep-recto--d045b25e15a504f5-w320.webp)
Two Heads; Studies of Sheep [recto]
Madame Cezanne![Heads of a Boy and a Man (Self-Portrait?) [verso], by Paul Gauguin](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/paul-gauguin--heads-of-a-boy-and-a-man-self-portrait-verso--92a4d2aa3cb26bf0-w320.webp)
Heads of a Boy and a Man (Self-Portrait?) [verso]