Four Breton Women 1886

Paul Gauguin made this painting, Four Breton Women, using oil on canvas. The composition presents four women clustered together. Notice the striking flatness of the picture plane, and the limited depth achieved with subtle gradations of color and tone, creating an atmosphere of subdued activity. Gauguin moves away from traditional representational techniques. His simplification of form is evident in the broad areas of color and the reduction of detail in the women's clothing. The lines are bold and serve to define shapes rather than to delineate realistic figures. This focus on form over detail is a conscious choice, pushing the artwork away from mere depiction. By challenging the conventions of perspective and realism, Gauguin invites us to engage with the painting on a more abstract level. It highlights the constructed nature of the image and the subjectivity inherent in artistic representation, making it clear that what we see is a carefully mediated version of reality.