Who painted Women, Animals and Foliage (Femmes, animaux et feuillages)?

Women, Animals and Foliage (Femmes, animaux et feuillages) was painted by Paul Gauguin in 1895.

Where can I see Women, Animals and Foliage (Femmes, animaux et feuillages)?

Women, Animals and Foliage (Femmes, animaux et feuillages) is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Women, Animals and Foliage (Femmes, animaux et feuillages)?

Women, Animals and Foliage (Femmes, animaux et feuillages) is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Women, Animals and Foliage (Femmes, animaux et feuillages)

Paul Gauguin , 1895

Women, Animals and Foliage (Femmes, animaux et feuillages) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin. It dates from 1895 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Paul Gauguin’s 1895 woodcut titled *Women, Animals and Foliage* presents a compact composition of human figures, an animal, and surrounding vegetation, all rendered in stark black. The print exemplifies Gauguin’s turn toward printmaking during the mid‑1890s, a period when he was exploring new graphic media alongside his painting practice.

Subject & Meaning

The image shows a standing woman in a loincloth extending her arms, two seated women to her left, and an animal positioned above them, framed by leafy branches that spill from the top and right edges. The arrangement suggests a symbolic interplay between the human form, animal presence, and natural environment, reflecting Gauguin’s interest in primitive motifs and mythic narratives.

Technique & Style

Executed as a black‑ink woodcut, the work displays the characteristic grainy texture of carved wood, with bold, simplified outlines that echo Gauguin’s Synthetist approach. Though his paintings are known for vivid color, this print relies on stark contrast and flattened forms to convey volume, emphasizing the decorative quality of line over realistic modeling.

History & Provenance

Created during Gauguin’s late‑period experimentation with print media, the woodcut was not widely circulated in his lifetime. It later entered museum collections as part of the broader reassessment of his graphic output, which has been recognized for its influence on early twentieth‑century modernist movements.

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.