Three People, a Mask, a Fox and a Bird, headpiece for Le sourire 1899

Editor: This is "Three People, a Mask, a Fox and a Bird, headpiece for Le sourire" by Paul Gauguin, created in 1899. It’s a woodblock print on paper. I’m really struck by how dreamlike it feels, almost like a collection of symbolic figures adrift in a dark space. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It strikes me as an invocation of primal forces, the interplay between the human and the animal, the seen and unseen. Gauguin was deeply invested in exploring the "primitive," though through a lens colored by European anxieties and fascinations. Look at the animal figures, the fox and the bird. How do they interact with the human figures? Editor: They seem to exist on the same plane, not necessarily interacting, but coexisting, like characters in a myth. Is the fox linked to trickery, while the bird represents something spiritual? Curator: Perhaps. And consider the mask. Masks often represent hidden identities, alternate selves. Does the juxtaposition of these elements tell a story? Is it a personal narrative of Gauguin himself or a reflection on broader cultural themes? Editor: That's a good point. The figures appear almost flattened, contributing to the sense of it being more of a symbolic representation than a realistic portrayal. Curator: Absolutely. And remember this was created as a headpiece, something that frames or introduces something else. The title “Le Sourire” — the smile — adds another layer of complexity. Does the combination of these symbols represent a genuine smile, or perhaps something more ironic or melancholic? What does it bring to your mind when you consider its use in relationship to a smile? Editor: Thinking about that, it becomes less of a straightforward, happy image. Maybe a "knowing" smile, one that hints at hidden truths or a darker undercurrent. Thanks, I now see it much more symbolically. Curator: It's fascinating how cultural symbols, viewed through a particular artist's sensibility, can reveal hidden aspects of human experience. These symbols persist across time.