Five Sheep; Four Head Studies [verso] 1884 - 1888

Paul Gauguin made this graphite drawing of sheep and head studies, sometime before his death in 1903. The juxtaposition of animal studies with human portraits speaks to the social context of Paris at the time, where artists were examining the role of humans in relation to the natural world. Gauguin was interested in critiquing the social norms of his time and he rejected the industrialized world, seeking a more authentic and natural way of life. The sketches on the page reflect this rejection by depicting a mix of rural and urban subjects. As historians, we can look at Gauguin's letters, travel journals, and the writings of his contemporaries, to more fully understand his motivations. Ultimately, this drawing, like all art, exists within a complex web of social and institutional contexts.