Sketch of Man with a Hat and Fragment of Woman’s Shoulder 1891 - 1893

Paul Gauguin made this sketch of a man with a hat and a woman's shoulder, on paper with graphite. Gauguin was part of the Post-Impressionist movement, a time of artistic experimentation and an avant-garde challenge to academic art. This sketch, although simple, provides a glimpse into the artist's creative process. Produced in France, the informality of the sketch reflects a shift away from the rigid constraints of earlier art academies. The choice of ordinary subjects is important too. Gauguin and his peers questioned traditional social norms, especially what art should be and who it should represent. Understanding the social conditions that shape artistic production involves looking at not only the artist but also the institutions and cultural values of their time. To understand this work better, you might explore Gauguin’s broader body of work and the critical writings of the period. This will offer insight into the changing role of art and the artist in late 19th-century French society.