Head of a Bearded Man with a Head of a Dog [recto] 1884 - 1888

Paul Gauguin rendered this sketch, "Head of a Bearded Man with a Head of a Dog," using graphite on paper. Gauguin, who would eventually reject Western society and relocate to French Polynesia, was part of a Post-Impressionist generation grappling with rapid industrialization and its alienating effects. This drawing presents a juxtaposition between the human and animal worlds, a theme that resonates with Gauguin’s later artistic explorations. He often sought a more ‘primitive’ and authentic existence, far from the constraints of European civilization. Consider how this image plays with notions of identity: the bearded man and the dog, both portraits, evoke questions about instinct, reason, and the boundaries between the human and non-human. Are they in harmony, or is there tension? Perhaps Gauguin is suggesting something about our own animal nature, that which ‘civilization’ seeks to suppress. What do you make of the emotional landscape present in this portrait? The image invites us to reflect on our relationship with the natural world and the complexities of our own identities.