Created from high-quality wood, milled with simple clean lines and presented with a satin finish. Includes an off-white mount that will not discolour or fade with age. - Simple, elegant design - Premium, fine art paper with a gently textured surface - Handmade by specialist picture framers - FSC certified off-white mat / window mount - Delivered ready for hanging

"The Field of Derout-Lollichon (1886)" by Paul Gauguin is a fascinating landscape that adroitly showcases the transition of Gauguin's artistic style, which bridges Impressionism and the nascent Symbolist movement. The painting captures a bucolic and serene rural scene, likely influenced by the countryside of Brittany, where Gauguin spent time to find solace and inspiration away from the bustling urban life.

The canvas presents an expansive rural field under a tranquil sky. The dominant color palette includes lush greens, yellows, and subtle browns, all blending harmoniously to depict the natural scenery. The field is rich with foliage, and the vegetation is rendered in quick, deft strokes that convey a sense of immediacy and movement. In the background, gently rolling hills stretch toward the horizon, while a scattering of trees punctuates the landscape.

One of the remarkable elements of the painting is the use of light. Gauguin masterfully captures the natural sunlight as it diffuses across the field, casting delicate shadows and illuminating the scene with a warm, almost ethereal glow. The brushwork varies from loose and flowing in the depiction of the foliage to more defined and structured in the representation of the distant hills, demonstrating Gauguin's technical dexterity and evolving style.

The composition of the painting directs the viewer's eye naturally across the field, inviting a deeper exploration of the landscape and the tranquility it exudes. There are no human figures present, which emphasizes the purity and untouched beauty of the natural world—a theme Gauguin would frequently explore in his later works.

Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) was a seminal figure in the post-Impressionist movement, well-known for his bold use of color, synthetist style, and profound influence on the trajectory of modern art. "The Field of Derout-Lollichon" is emblematic of a period when Gauguin began to diverge from Impressionism's preoccupation with capturing light and fleeting moments, gravitating instead towards exploring more symbolic and expressive dimensions of art.

The painting is part of the collection at the Harvard Art Museums, reflecting its importance and recognition in art historical contexts. This period in Gauguin's career was marked by his growing disillusionment with contemporary society and a quest for a more primitive and untainted source of artistic inspiration, eventually leading him to his famous sojourns in Tahiti.

"The Field of Derout-Lollichon" aligns chronologically with Gauguin's early experiments that would later lead to his pioneering role in Symbolism and his association with the Pont-Aven School. This group of artists sought to move beyond Impressionism's naturalistic portrayals and delve into more abstract, symbolic, and emotional realms. Gauguin's landscapes from this period often reflect this shift, infusing natural scenes with an almost other-worldly quality.

Noteworthy in this painting is Gauguin's restrained use of color. Unlike his later works characterized by their vivid, almost unnatural hues, this painting employs a more subdued palette, suggesting a period of transition. The balanced composition, the emotive portrayal of natural beauty, and the subtle yet effective brushwork all contribute to an artwork that not only marks a significant phase in Gauguin's development but also encapsulates the broader evolution of modern art during the late 19th century.

In conclusion, "The Field of Derout-Lollichon" is a masterful representation of Gauguin's intermediary phase, blending the observational prowess of Impressionism with the emerging symbolic and emotive qualities that would come to define his later works. The painting occupies a respected place in art history and continues to captivate viewers with its serene beauty and profound simplicity.