Head of a Man with a Study of His Back; Various Sketches with a Peasant Woman and a Goose [recto]

Paul Gauguin

National Gallery of Art

The image shows a series of faint pencil sketches on two adjacent panels, resembling a sketchbook. On the left panel, there are lightly drawn outlines of faces – one appearing to be a man and another a woman. The faces are partially sketched and appear unfinished. The right panel features various small sketches, including a person's profile from the shoulders up, a simplistic figure with outstretched arms next to a small animal, and a couple of abstract or partially formed shapes resembling heads and faces. The sketches are simplistic with minimal detail, created using light, feathery lines. The background is plain, with the off-white paper of the sketchbook. The two panels are bordered with a thin line, providing structure to the open sketchbook format.