Decorated Wooden Box

1884·Stained wood with iron, leather, and inlaid with two netsuke masks·22 × 14.8 × 51.5 cm (8 5/8 × 5 7/8 × 20 1/4 in.)

<p>Paul Gauguin experimented with techniques in a variety of media including ceramics, woodcut print, sculpture, and wood carving. In high and low relief across the front of this box, the artist fashioned dancers reminiscent of those seen in the work of his contemporary <a href="https://www.artic.edu/artists/40543/hilaire-germain-edgar-degas">Edgar Degas</a>. On the back, Gauguin inlaid Japanese fasteners, called netsuke, shaped as miniature masks. Inside, he hewed a rough, macabre human figure inspired by oak coffins of the Danish Bronze Age, which the artist saw in late 1884 while visiting his wife’s family in Copenhagen. The box showcases Gauguin’s curiosity about global art forms, which he appropriated and combined in the service of his own creative vision.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1884
Medium: Stained wood with iron, leather, and inlaid with two netsuke masks
Dimensions: 22 × 14.8 × 51.5 cm (8 5/8 × 5 7/8 × 20 1/4 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Paul Gauguin

Artist

Paul Gauguin

Painting

Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements. He was also an influential practitioner of wood engraving and woodcuts as art forms. While only moderately successful during his lifetime, Gauguin has since been recognized for his experimental use of color and Synthetist style that were distinct from Impressionism.

Paris, France

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