At the Window - Paul Gauguin

At the Window by Paul Gauguin - Still Life Paintings from Hermitage Museum

Painting Detail

At the Window
Artist: Paul Gauguin
Medium: Painting, Oil on canvas, 54x65.3 cm
Date: 1882
Genre: Still Life
Source: Formerly in the collection of Otto Krebs, Holzdorf

The combination of objects in this still life is quite unusual, but apparently it resulted not only from the logic of formal juxtapositions but also from thematic considerations. For example, the lemon in the centre is the bright spot upon which the whole composition hangs, but like the other items on the table, it is also needed to prepare grog. Thus, next to the lemon are a bottle of very strong wine, sugar cubes, a glass for hot water, a spoon for mixing, and a large mug. Gauguin placed two of the objects next to each other with a certain note of irony: the intricately carved bottle and the massive mug of a most simple form. The present still life is noted not only for its Impressionist interest in reproducing light but for its strong composition.