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

Volpini Suite: Old Women of Arles (Les Vieilles Filles [Arles]) was painted by Paul Gauguin in 1889.

Where can I see Volpini Suite: Old Women of Arles (Les Vieilles Filles [Arles])?

Volpini Suite: Old Women of Arles (Les Vieilles Filles [Arles]) is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Volpini Suite: Old Women of Arles (Les Vieilles Filles [Arles])?

Volpini Suite: Old Women of Arles (Les Vieilles Filles [Arles]) is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

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

Paul Gauguin , 1889

Volpini Suite: Old Women of Arles (Les Vieilles Filles [Arles]) is a print by the Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1889, *Volpini Suite: Old Women of Arles* is a zincograph print by Paul Gauguin, part of a series produced at the Volpini print shop in Paris. The work showcases Gauguin's distinctive Synthetist style, characterized by bold, simplified forms and experimental color use.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts three elderly women from Arles, highlighting Gauguin's fascination with provincial life. Two women stand together, hand in hand, dressed in dark attire with head coverings, while a third sits prominently in the foreground, wrapped in a coat and holding a bundle of sticks.

Technique & Style

Gauguin employed quick, sketchy lines and bold black shapes to define the women's forms against a textured, yellow-toned background with subtle, suggested landscape elements. The faces are rendered simply, prioritizing immediacy over detailed portraiture.

History & Provenance

The print is currently held in the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art.

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.