Leda
Original title: ("Leda") Design for a Plate: Shame on Those Who Evil Think (Honi Soit Qui Mal y Pense) ; cover illustration for the "Volpini Suite" entitled Lithographic Drawings (Dessins lithographiques)
kurzbeschreibung
Paul Gauguin designed this hand-colored zincograph in 1889 as a decoration for a plate; it later became the cover of the 'Volpini Suite'. Printed on chrome yellow wove paper, it features a female figure along with floral and symbolic motifs.
Description
A female figure with her hair pulled back and head slightly tilted draws the eye; her shoulder is bare, and she wears a white dress. To the left, flowers and leaves grow, and a snake winds around a branch. On the right, a figure stands on a small pedestal with a leaf on its head. A circle in the background bears the inscription 'Pour l'art des murs et l'ame 250'. Along the bottom edge, the words 'Dessins lithographiques' and 'Paul Gauguin' appear in handwriting. The uniform yellow ground pushes the central figure and other elements to the fore.
Context
In 1889, Gauguin was living in Brittany and experimenting with printmaking. This sheet belongs to the 'Volpini Suite', a set of zincographs presented at the Paris World's Fair. The suite takes its name from the Café Volpini, where Gauguin and fellow artists exhibited. The plate design reflects Gauguin's turn toward decorative art and his engagement with Symbolist imagery.
Impact
The saturated yellow of the background and the dark, forceful lines give the sheet an expressive, almost poster-like presence. Floral ornaments meet symbol-laden figures, creating an enigmatic, captivating mood that invites the viewer to linger.
Technique
For the print, Gauguin used zincography, in which a zinc plate is etched. He then hand-colored the impression with watercolor and gouache. The support was chrome yellow wove paper, mounted on marbled paper and finally on millboard—an elaborate presentation typical for a portfolio cover.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)