The Joys of Brittany, from the "Volpini Suite: Dessins lithographiques"
Original title: The Joys of Brittany, from the "Volpini Suite: Dessins lithographiques"
kurzbeschreibung
Paul Gauguin's zincograph 'Die Freuden der Bretagne' from 1889 shows two women in Breton dress walking hand in hand along a country path. The print belongs to the so-called Volpini Suite (Dessins lithographiques) and was printed on chrome yellow wove paper. It is a work from the first edition.
Description
Two women in dark garments with white aprons, holding hands, stride across a dirt path. Their bodies are placed symmetrically in the center of the image. In the background, a church, a group of people, and other landscape elements are hinted at; a small sheep stands in the left foreground. The color range is limited to yellows and browns, due to the chrome yellow paper and the zincograph process. The light appears even and shadowless, as is typical for lithographic prints. The lines are contoured, the style impressionistic, with emphasis on surface and color.
Context
Gauguin created this print in 1889 during his stay in Brittany, where he was influenced by the rural culture and traditions of the region. It is part of the Volpini Suite, a series of lithographs that Gauguin brought out for the Paris World's Fair in the same year. The suite was published in a small edition and aimed at an art-interested public. At the time, Gauguin was experimenting with zincography, an inexpensive printing method that gave him more creative freedom.
Impact
The subdued color palette and clear contours give the print a calm, almost meditative effect. The symmetrical arrangement of the figures and the simple landscape create a quiet harmony that emphasizes the idyll of rural life. The rough texture of the zinc print underlines the handcrafted character of the work.
Technique
Zincography is a planographic printing process: the drawing is applied to a zinc plate and then transferred to paper. Gauguin used chrome yellow wove paper, which gives the print a warm, luminous base color. The first edition of the Volpini Suite was produced in limited numbers, which explains the rarity of the print.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)