The artwork titled “Bust of a nude girl” was created by the artist Paul Gauguin in 1884 during his time in Amagerbro, Copenhagen, Denmark. The medium of the artwork is oil on panel, and it falls within the Impressionism art movement, specifically classified as a nude painting (nu). Currently, the artwork resides in a private collection.
The painting features the nuanced portrayal of a female subject captured from the bust up. Gauguin’s use of color and brushstroke is representative of the Impressionist style, which is characterized by an emphasis on the depiction of light and its changing qualities, as well as accentuated motion through the use of brushstrokes and color. In this depiction, the girl’s visage emanates a sense of contemplation and introspection. Her hairstyle is rendered with warm, russet tones that suggest vitality, in contrast with the muted, cooler tones that form the background. The juxtaposition of warm and cool colors is a recurring theme in Gauguin’s work, and it adds depth to the composition. Despite being depicted as a bust, the treatment of the female form is consistent with the genre of nude paintings, emphasizing the intimate and natural portrayal of the human figure. The Impressionist style is evident in the rendering’s apparent spontaneity and the loose, expressive quality of the paint application.
