Head of a Monkey; Inventory of Bottles and Beverages [verso]

Art Historical Context

Behold Paul Gauguin's *Head of a Monkey; Inventory of Bottles and Beverages (verso), a double-sided drawing from 188–1888, now housed in the National Gallery of Art part of The Armand Hammer Collection. Created on modest wove paper measuring just 16.9 x 22.1 cm, it showcases Gauguin's masterful use of graphite, crayon, pen, and brown inktechniques that highlight his fluid line work and textural depth. In the mid-1880s, Gauguin was transitioning from a stockbroker's life to full-time artistry in France, aligning with the Post-Impressionist movement alongside friends like Van Gogh and Pissarro. This period marked his experimentation with bold forms and expressive sketches, bridging Impressionism's spontaneity and his later Symbolist visions in Tahiti. The recto’s whimsical monkey head reveals Gauguin's playful observation of nature, while the verso’s meticulous inventory of bottles and beverages offers a glimpse into everyday still life, perhaps reflecting his bohemian circles or personal indulgences. These intimate works underscore Gauguin's versatility as a draftsman, where economy of means yields profound vitality. A treasure for visitors, it invites you to flip perspectives—literally—and appreciate the artist's raw genius. (198 words)

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 ...