Head of a Cow [recto] 1884 - 1888

Editor: So, here we have Gauguin's "Head of a Cow," dating from around 1884 to 1888. It's a simple pencil drawing, and I'm struck by how economic the lines are – yet, they convey so much about the animal. What stands out to you when you look at this piece? Curator: What I find particularly fascinating is considering this work in relation to Gauguin's later, more well-known pieces. Here, you have this straightforward, almost academic study of animal anatomy, rendered in a very traditional medium. Given Gauguin's later radical departures, what societal expectations was he pushing against? Editor: So you see this drawing as him potentially responding to academic expectations? Curator: Precisely. This image represents a certain kind of artistic training he would have likely undergone. Think about the Salon system, the pressure to demonstrate technical skill, before venturing into more 'avant-garde' territory. Did exhibiting these 'realistic' studies create opportunities for later exhibitions of new ideas? Editor: That's interesting. So by showing skill in this academic drawing, it gave him credibility when he then wanted to branch out? Curator: Exactly. The art world is very hierarchical. He, along with other artists, were consciously working to both embrace the academic traditions and deconstruct those same institutional forces, so they can carve a new path, which would take him ultimately to Pont-Aven and beyond. We should think about the implications of portraying even a farm animal with a similar significance or grander. Editor: I never thought of it that way before. Seeing this as him grappling with the established art world… it gives the sketch so much more depth. Thank you. Curator: And I appreciate you considering the social background of his art production through that initial sense of the animal conveyed with just a few lines.