White house 1885

Paul Gauguin’s “White House” (1885) exemplifies his transition from Impressionism to Synthetism. The painting features a simple landscape with a white house nestled amongst trees and a cow grazing in the foreground. Gauguin’s use of bold, flat color and simplified forms is characteristic of Synthetism, where the artist simplifies natural forms to express emotion and convey a symbolic meaning. This work, painted during Gauguin's time in Brittany, is a visual representation of his quest for a new artistic language that could express his personal vision. The composition's tranquility, punctuated by the solitary cow and the soft, muted hues, evokes a serene, contemplative atmosphere.