Study for Maternité II
This drawing of a mother nursing her infant is preparatory to one of Gauguin's late paintings of Tahitian women, "Maternité (II)." The squaring suggests its direct use in transferring the design from sketch to canvas. The artist completed the painting on the theme of motherhood and fertility around the time that his 17-year old mistress, Pahura, gave birth to their son in April 1899.
Artwork Details
- Title: Study for Maternité II
- Artist: Paul Gauguin (French, Paris 1848–1903 Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands)
- Date: 1899
- Medium: Graphite
- Dimensions: Sheet: 6 × 5 in. (15.2 × 12.7 cm), unevenly trimmed
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Partial and Promised Gift of Richard A. Berman, in honor of the Museum's 150th Anniversary
- Object Number: 2019.578
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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