Studies of Jugs and Vases; A Man with Moustache and a Boy with a Hat [recto] 1884 - 1888

Paul Gauguin made this pencil sketch, Studies of Jugs and Vases; A Man with Moustache and a Boy with a Hat, around the late 19th century. In the artistic circles of France at that time, the academy was losing its grip on the kind of subjects an artist should deem worthy of attention. Gauguin broke away from the traditions of the academy, and, like many other artists, he was interested in everyday life. It is telling that he uses the same sheet of paper to sketch studies of vases and jugs, and his companions. It suggests he is giving equal aesthetic weight to both. We can learn more about the lives of Gauguin and his circle, and the artistic institutions that shaped his work, by consulting his letters and the memoirs of his contemporaries. Through this kind of historical research, we can deepen our understanding of the social meaning of his art.