Stabble near Dieppe 1885

Paul Gauguin painted "Stabble near Dieppe," using oil on canvas, its exact date remains unknown. Gauguin, a figure who straddled the 19th and 20th centuries, was deeply influenced by the social and cultural shifts of his time, including burgeoning industrialization and the search for simpler, more authentic ways of life. In this painting, he turns his gaze to the French countryside. However, it is important to remember that in his search for authenticity, Gauguin frequently idealized the cultures and people he encountered. There is a tension, then, in how we view his work—his quest for the authentic—and the way that quest was fraught with colonial undertones and a male gaze. Gauguin abandoned the urban landscape for what he perceived as the idyllic and natural. Yet, this move was also a commentary on the complexities of identity and the yearning for a sense of belonging in a rapidly changing world. "Stabble near Dieppe," thus, serves as a mirror reflecting both personal longing and the broader societal search for meaning beyond the confines of modernity.