Martinique Pastorals, from the "Volpini Suite: Dessins lithographiques"
Original title: Martinique Pastorals, from the "Volpini Suite: Dessins lithographiques"
kurzbeschreibung
A woman in traditional dress tends a sheep or goat in a rural setting in this 1889 zincograph by Paul Gauguin. It belongs to the so-called Volpini Suite (Dessins lithographiques) and was printed on yellow wove paper.
Description
A woman in a long garment, staff in hand, turns toward an animal as if calling it. Trees and gentle hills behind her create a pastoral idyll. Warm yellows permeate the entire view, emanating from the yellow paper. The lines are precise and detailed, with emphasis on the textures of clothing and vegetation. Shadows are absent; the light appears evenly distributed.
Context
Gauguin made the zincographs of the Volpini Suite in 1889 in Pont-Aven, after his first trip to Martinique in 1887. They were intended for the exhibition at the Café Volpini during the 1889 Paris World's Fair. The suite comprises eleven prints on yellow paper. The motifs draw on memories of the Caribbean and Breton landscapes.
Impact
The warm yellow tonality gives the scene a harmonious, almost sunny atmosphere. The quiet encounter between human and animal creates a contemplative mood typical of Gauguin's idealized nature images. The graphic clarity of the lines underscores the flatness of the image.
Technique
As a zincograph, this print uses a lithographic process with a zinc plate instead of the usual stone. It was printed on yellow wove paper, which produces the warm overall tone. The edition comes from the first edition of the Volpini Suite.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)