Provenance
On consignment by the artist to Georges Chaudet (1870-1899), Paris; possibly, Ambroise Vollard (1867-1939), Oct. 19, 1895. Francisco "Paco" Durrio (1868-1940), Paris, by 1906-at least 1928 [Leicester Galleries 1931; left by Durrio at Kunsthalle Basel for exhibition in 1928 (Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2013)]; Walther Geiser (1897-1993), Basel, by Jan. 18, 1931 [Geiser personal papers]; consigned to Lucas Lichtenhan (1897–1969), Basel, on Jan. 18, 1931 [Geiser personal papers]; sold for Walther Geiser by Lucas Lichtenhan, 1931 [Geiser personal papers]. Albert Roullier Art Galleries, Chicago, by Nov. 1931 [Roullier Galleries, 1931]. Mrs. Charles Goodspeed (née Elizabeth Fuller, later Mrs. Gilbert Chapman; 1893–1980), Chicago, by 1938 [Arts Club of Chicago, 1938]; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1946.
Accession Number
55341
Medium
Charcoal and pastel, with touches of brush and brown ink, on ivory laid paper (discolored to tan), partially outlined in graphite and squared in black fabricated chalk, with yellow paint residue on verso
Dimensions
58.5 × 35 cm (23 1/16 × 13 13/16 in.)
Classification
pastel
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Charles B. Goodspeed
Background & Context
Background Story
Paul Gauguin's Breton Bather (1886/87) is a charcoal and pastel drawing with touches of brush and brown ink on ivory laid paper. This work from Gauguin's Breton period shows a figure bathing, the subject treated with the simplified forms and strong contours characteristic of Gauguin's developing style. The combination of charcoal, pastel, and ink creates a rich, varied surface. The drawing is squared for transfer, indicating it was a preparatory study for a painting.
Cultural Impact
Gauguin's Breton bather studies show his engagement with the theme of the figure in nature that would occupy him throughout his career.
Why It Matters
This charcoal and pastel study of a Breton bather shows Gauguin's developing style and his method of working out compositions.
