Boy's Face; Two Sheep [verso]

Art Historical Context

In the National Gallery of Art's Armand Hammer Collection resides a captivating double-sided drawing by Paul Gauguin, titled *Boy's Face; Two Sheep [o]*, created between 1884 and 1888. On the recto, a sensitive portrait of a boy's face reveals Gauguin's early mastery of expression through simple lines, while the verso features two sheep, rendered with a pastoral simplicity that hints at his fascination with rural life. Measuring just 16.9 x 22.6 cm, this intimate work on wove paper showcases both sides in active use—a common practice for artists conserving materials during exploratory sketches...

About the Artist

Paul Gauguin · 1848–1903

Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) was a French Post-Impressionist painter whose bold experiments with color, form, and subject matter made him one of the most influential figures in the transition from 19th-century art to modernism. His rejection of European civilization for the perceived authenticity of 'primitive' cultures established an archetype of artistic exile that continues to resonate. Gauguin's ...