Portrait of two children (Paul and Jean Schuffneker) 1889

Curator: Here we have Paul Gauguin's "Portrait of two children (Paul and Jean Schuffneker)", completed in 1889. It’s currently housed here at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the weight of those dark blues and that almost aggressively cheerful yellow. There's a tension between the somber figures and the background that I find intriguing. Curator: That tension, I think, reflects the complexities of Gauguin’s relationship with the Schuffenecker family, whom he was quite close to during this period. He was supported and given considerable latitude to explore artistically. Editor: I'm looking at the brushstrokes and the deliberate application of color; how Gauguin handles oil-paint, building up these layers of intense pigments... it's a deliberate choice to present a world seen through a particular lens, maybe even Gauguin's own feelings during that period. Curator: Indeed, this work appears as Gauguin shifted toward synthesizing observation with subjective experience, using color not just descriptively but also emotionally. This shift in style also came from considering the commercial pressure when it came to portrait commissions in France at that period. Editor: Interesting! I imagine that influenced his working process quite a bit, not wanting to paint just as someone would request him to? Thinking about materials, there’s something captivating about the raw canvas showing through. It acts almost like a counterpoint, or a reminder that it's an artwork. It keeps things honest, a bit more human somehow. Curator: I agree. Beyond that though, his relationships with figures within Impressionist and Post-Impressionist circles—and the financial support he needed to make this all work—greatly impacted both his style and subject matter at the time. The way his connections informed production seems undeniable in hindsight. Editor: It's a constant dance, isn't it? Process and context feeding into each other. Looking closer, that the visible canvas reminds me a little of unfinished textiles in production, the background seeming incomplete to emphasize an emotional impact. Curator: I think what remains with me, is how Gauguin walked the delicate line between portraiture as a commission, while injecting his developing symbolic style to showcase his aesthetic direction for his place within art history. Editor: For me, seeing those bold pigments, feeling the deliberate layers on canvas. I am able to connect that with the realities of making it and that's something. It’s not just a face, it’s labor and intent made tangible.