Nature morte à la soupière by Paul Gauguin

Paul Gauguin
1848-1903 | French

Nature morte à la soupière
(Still Life with a Soup Tureen)

Signed “P. Gauguin '75” (upper right)
Oil on canvas

Paul Gauguin’s Nature morte à la soupière is an exceptional early work by one of the most revolutionary artists in the history of modern art. Painted in 1875, the still life dates to a pivotal moment when Gauguin, then building a prosperous career as a stockbroker, was becoming increasingly devoted to painting. With an estimated 125 paintings by Gauguin remaining in private hands, works of this caliber are seldom available on the market. The painting is also slated for inclusion in Wildenstein’s forthcoming digital catalogue raisonné.

Against a shadowed tabletop, a lidded tureen, pitcher, folded napkin and loose arrangement of fruit emerge in heightened greens, whites and warm earth tones. Though rooted in the traditional still-life genre, the composition reveals the beginnings of Gauguin’s increasingly independent artistic vision. Vigorous brushwork, bold contrasts and expressive handling give the everyday objects a remarkable presence, foreshadowing the radical approach to color and form that would come to define his mature work.

Gauguin stood at a decisive crossroads when he painted the work. A new father with a successful career in finance, he was simultaneously immersing himself in Parisian artistic circles and developing a relationship with Camille Pissarro and the Impressionists. Just one year later, Gauguin made his debut at the Paris Salon, marking an important step toward the artistic career that would ultimately transform the course of modern art. His paintings today form cornerstones of the world’s greatest museum collections, while comparable still lifes can be found in institutions including the Musée d’Orsay, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Gothenburg Museum of Art.

Among the most celebrated figures of Post-Impressionism, Gauguin exerted a profound influence on generations of artists who followed him. His market stature is equally formidable: a Gauguin painting has commanded one of the highest prices ever paid for a work of art. Nature morte à la soupière offers a compelling glimpse of the master at the very beginning of this extraordinary trajectory.

Dated 1875

Canvas: 18 3/4" high x 22 3/4" wide (37.63 x 57.79 cm)
Frame: 26 1/4" high x 30 1/2" wide x 1 1/2" deep (66.88 x 77.47 x 3.81 cm)

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Provenance:
English Family, Australia
Private Collection, Australia
Private Collection, England
M.S. Rau, New Orleans