Still Life with Profile of Laval

Samuel Josefowitz Collection of the School of Pont-Aven, through the generosity of Lilly Endowment Inc., the Josefowitz Family, Mr. and Mrs. James M. Cornelius, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard J. Betley, Lori and Dan Efroymson, and other Friends of the Museum In this enigmatic image, Gauguin’s fellow artist Charles Laval peers at an arrangement of objects on a rumpled cloth. The tall vessel behind the fruit is one of Gauguin’s highly original experiments with ceramics, which he began making in 1886. Its current location is unknown. Laval’s profile reflects Gauguin’s admiration for the off-center, cropped compositions of Edgar Degas, while the parallel brush strokes and outlining of the fruit suggest the influence of Paul Cézanne. This canvas was painted in Paris in late 1886, after Gauguin’s return from his first visit to the Breton village of Pont-Aven, where he befriended Laval. A selection of van Gogh's letters that mention Charles Laval (at the Van Gogh Museum). Two pages from a publication that includes this preparatory sketch of Charles Laval. Additional information about Newfields' reproduction guidelines can be found in the Licensing Resources . This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [MA-251861-OMS-22].