A Horse and Birds, headpiece for Le sourire 1899

"A Horse and Birds, headpiece for Le sourire" is a woodcut by Paul Gauguin created in 1899. This small-scale print features a simplified and stylized horse with a series of birds surrounding it. Gauguin’s use of bold black lines and a limited color palette is reminiscent of Japanese woodblock prints, which he greatly admired. This woodcut was created for the cover of a magazine called "Le sourire" which was published by the artist’s friend, the writer, journalist, and editor, Albert Aurier. It is now housed at the Art Institute of Chicago.