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Be in Love and You will be Happy (Soyez amoureuses, vous serez heureuses)

Paul Gauguin

National Gallery of Art

This print shows an array of abstract shapes and lines on a textured background. Many forms resemble human figures, although many of their features are abstracted or exaggerated. One figure near the center has a skull-like face and is seated and with their head in their hands, looking out at us. Other shapes include a child seated on the ground on the left and a figure with long hair and wide eyes on the right, their hands clasped in prayer. In the upper half of the print, there is text in a swirling ribbon, as well as more stylized human faces, most depicted from the shoulders up. The background is filled with solid and patterned sections in shades of black, reddish-brown, and beige.

Artwork Details

Date
1898-1899
Medium
woodcut in light brown and black on chine collé
Dimensions
4941 × 2941 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original