Artwork
Young Christian Girl
Young Christian Girl is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin. It dates from 1898 and is held in the collection of the Clark Art Institute. Created in 1898, this oil painting portrays a young woman in a tranquil pose, her gaze lowered and hands joined before her chest.
About this work
Overview
She is dressed in a bright yellow garment accented with white trim and green spots, while a dark headband frames her long, straight blonde hair.
Created in 1898, this oil painting portrays a young woman in a tranquil pose, her gaze lowered and hands joined before her chest. She is dressed in a bright yellow garment accented with white trim and green spots, while a dark headband frames her long, straight blonde hair. The backdrop suggests a gentle landscape of trees, rolling hills, and water, contributing to an atmosphere of calm reflection.
Subject & Meaning
The figure’s downcast eyes and clasped hands convey a moment of prayerful or meditative stillness, inviting viewers to consider themes of devotion and inner peace. The serene expression and modest posture emphasize a personal, contemplative experience rather than a narrative scene, aligning the work with spiritual introspection.
Technique & Style
Executed in Gauguin’s mature period, the composition reflects his shift toward Symbolist ideals, employing flat areas of vivid color and simplified outlines. The palette—dominated by yellows, greens, and deep contrasts—underscores emotional resonance over realistic detail, while the reduced modeling of forms highlights the artist’s synthetist approach that favors abstraction and symbolic content.
History & Provenance
Painted during the artist’s later years after his extended stays in Tahiti, the work exemplifies his engagement with non‑Western visual influences while maintaining a European sensibility. It entered the collection of the Clark Art Institute, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings, representing a key example of the painter’s late‑period output.
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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.
Abendruhe
Madame Roulin Rocking the Cradle (La berceuse)
Madame Roulin Rocking the Cradle (La Berceuse)
Portrait of Marie Lemasson
Bildnis Renette Grossmann
Vision After the Sermon
Portrait of a lady in profile
Landscape with Two Breton Women
The Green Christ
La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930)
Bretonsk landskab med hvilende pige
Young Girl