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Lot Essay
Paul Gauguin’s Portrait of a Child depicts the inquisitive presence of an infant, staring at the viewer, animated by curiosity. With a remarkable smoothness of tones, Gauguin has managed to render the warmth of the scene, evoking the palpitating presence of the child, while dissolving the space around him into a haze of mauves and greens. The earthen colours of the palette, as well as the soft handling of the paint, are reminiscent of Eugène Boudin’s work, which at the beginning of his career might have been inspired Gauguin to evolve his technique.
Portrait of a Child was executed by Gauguin towards the end of the 1870s. Although not explicitly stated, the child in the picture could be Gauguin’s own. The work could be a portrait of the artist’s second child Aline, born on 24 December 1877. According to this identification, the picture might have been executed in 1878, around the time when Gauguin also executed a portrait of his first born child Emil (Crussard, 45). Portrait of a Child may have thus been conceived as part of a double portrait, arresting in time the fleeting images of Gauguin’s two children. This picture may then offer a tender insight into Gauguin’s family life; certainly it demonstrates the artist’s incredible ability to capture mood, atmosphere and, convincingly, character.
Portrait of a child is preceded by a distinguished provenance, having passed by descent through the family of Mette Gauguin's lawyer, Konrad Levysohn, until the present day.
Portrait of a Child was executed by Gauguin towards the end of the 1870s. Although not explicitly stated, the child in the picture could be Gauguin’s own. The work could be a portrait of the artist’s second child Aline, born on 24 December 1877. According to this identification, the picture might have been executed in 1878, around the time when Gauguin also executed a portrait of his first born child Emil (Crussard, 45). Portrait of a Child may have thus been conceived as part of a double portrait, arresting in time the fleeting images of Gauguin’s two children. This picture may then offer a tender insight into Gauguin’s family life; certainly it demonstrates the artist’s incredible ability to capture mood, atmosphere and, convincingly, character.
Portrait of a child is preceded by a distinguished provenance, having passed by descent through the family of Mette Gauguin's lawyer, Konrad Levysohn, until the present day.