Père Paillard

Paul Gauguin

National Gallery of Art

This stylized, free-standing, wood sculpture shows a seated man with horns, creating a column-like shape. The statue is carved from polished, reddish-brown wood. The column is divided into three sections for the head, torso, and legs. In this photograph, the man faces us. He has gold-colored eyes under arched brows, a wide nose, thin lips, and a square jaw. The horns rise from over his temples. In the middle section, he holds his hands in front of his chest, nearly touching as if in prayer. The bottom section shows his shins, knees together. His feet, which are roughly carved, turn outward. The base along the bottom is carved with words painted in gold, reading, “PERE PAILLARO.”