M. Loulou (1890)

Gauguin, Paul (1848-1903)

M. Loulou (Mr. Louis Le Ray)
1890
Oil on canvas, 55.2 x 46.4 cm
Barnes FoundationPhiladelphia

Beginning in 1886 Gauguin frequently painted in Le Pouldo, a small town in the Brittany region of France, attracted by what he perceived to be a landscape and a way of life untouched by modernization. The sitter of this portrait, Louis Le Ray, was the son of local couple who were friends of the artist. The thick lines defining the contours of the figure, chair, and flowers have been called “cloisonnism” for their formal affinity to medieval and Byzantine enamelwork. (BF)