Paul Gauguin (French, 1848–1903)
Polynesian Woman with Children
INV-3446
Paul Gauguin (French, 1848–1903)1901
Polynesian Woman with Children
Paul Gauguin (French, 1848–1903) →Post-Impressionism20th Centuryoil on canvaspainting
Date
1901
Medium
Oil on linen canvas
Dimensions
97 × 74 cm (38 3/16 × 29 1/8 in.); Framed: 111.2 × 88.3 × 5.8 cm (43 3/4 × 34 3/4 × 2 1/4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection
The three figures in this work have never been identified. Their familial pose and other details, such as the woman’s gold ring and the red mark on the girl’s hand, invite speculation as to their relationship to each other and to the artist. Technical analysis has revealed that Paul Gauguin reworked the position of the woman’s hands to align diagonally with those of the young girl standing behind her. Together, they form an upward axis reinforced by the cat, also a later addition.
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