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Lot Essay
Gauguin went to Pont-Aven in Brittany for the last time during the summer of 1894 after his first trip to Tahiti (1891-1893) and just before his next (1895-1898).
During this period, Gauguin returned to Breton subjects and motifs, revitalising traditional iconographies of the rural world as he came back, for the final time, to his roots. Stylised, nave elaboration of animal motifs and Breton characters were amongst his favourite leitmotifs.
Rflexions Bourgeoises combines Gauguin's concerns for his French roots with rebellious anarchist statements. Gauguin treats the page with a layout appropriate to children's books, a rectangular nave drawing above a round, hand-written text. In the traditional French newspaper illustration style, used to great effect by Honor Daumier, Gauguin mixes a spontaneous drawing with a very direct phrase, which twists the meaning of the drawing. The present rural, Breton scene strongly contrasts the very contemptuous meaning of the text regarding couples, which gives the drawing its cynical strength. Rflexions bourgeoises also illustrates Gauguin's preoccupation with texts. At the time, he was working on the draft of the book Noa Noa, mixing his drawings with poems by Charles Morice, and was finishing two other manuscripts, Ancien Culte Mahorie and Cahier pour Aline.
The Wildenstein Institute has confirmed the authenticity of the present work .
During this period, Gauguin returned to Breton subjects and motifs, revitalising traditional iconographies of the rural world as he came back, for the final time, to his roots. Stylised, nave elaboration of animal motifs and Breton characters were amongst his favourite leitmotifs.
Rflexions Bourgeoises combines Gauguin's concerns for his French roots with rebellious anarchist statements. Gauguin treats the page with a layout appropriate to children's books, a rectangular nave drawing above a round, hand-written text. In the traditional French newspaper illustration style, used to great effect by Honor Daumier, Gauguin mixes a spontaneous drawing with a very direct phrase, which twists the meaning of the drawing. The present rural, Breton scene strongly contrasts the very contemptuous meaning of the text regarding couples, which gives the drawing its cynical strength. Rflexions bourgeoises also illustrates Gauguin's preoccupation with texts. At the time, he was working on the draft of the book Noa Noa, mixing his drawings with poems by Charles Morice, and was finishing two other manuscripts, Ancien Culte Mahorie and Cahier pour Aline.
The Wildenstein Institute has confirmed the authenticity of the present work .