Self Portrait c. 1893

This self-portrait by Paul Gauguin presents an individual caught in a moment of introspection, set against a backdrop of artistic endeavour. Note how Gauguin uses a muted palette, punctuated by the vibrant orange of his tie, to draw the viewer's eye. The composition is bisected; one half is dominated by the figure, the other by a suggestive drawing, perhaps hinting at Gauguin's exploration of primitivism and the exotic. We see here a deliberate flattening of perspective, influenced by Japanese prints. This challenges traditional notions of depth and space, reflecting Gauguin’s broader project to destabilize academic art practices. Consider how the brushstrokes, visible and expressive, deny the illusionism of realism. Through this emphasis on materiality, Gauguin asserts the painting as an object, a construction of signs that invites us to question the nature of representation itself. By reducing the image to its core components, the painting opens itself up to ongoing interpretation.