Provenance
Sold by Galerie Roger Ferrero, Geneva, Switzerland, for Dr. Otto Wertheimer (1896–1972), Paris, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Aug. 19, 1955.
Accession Number
113466
Medium
Black fabricated chalk on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
30.3 × 31.3 cm (11 15/16 × 12 3/8 in.)
Classification
charcoal
Credit Line
Arthur Heun Fund
Background & Context
Background Story
Paul Gauguin's Bust of a Young Breton Woman (Possibly Marie Lagadu) (1886/88) is a black fabricated chalk drawing on ivory laid paper from his Breton period. The drawing shows a young Breton woman in bust-length portrait, the features rendered with the simplified forms and strong contours characteristic of Gauguin's developing style. The black chalk technique is confident and direct.
Cultural Impact
Gauguin's Breton portraits document the traditional life of the region before his departure for Tahiti.
Why It Matters
This chalk portrait of a young Breton woman captures the simplicity and dignity of rural life in Brittany.
