Young Girl With Fan is a 1902 painting in the Post-Impressionist style by the leading French artist Paul Gauguin. This work is located in the Museum Folkwang in Essen, Germany.
Analysis of Young Girl with a Fan
Young Girl with Fan was painted two years before his 1903 death and during his residence on the Marquesas Islands, French Post-Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin paints the young girl holding her fan and dressed in white, the traditional local color of power and death. This confers on his model, the daughter of a chieftain, a goddess-like status. Despite the downward viewpoint, the girl gazes out beyond the picture space with a look of eternal wisdom. The space is flattened as is typical of Gauguin’s style – the world is stylistically painted with symbolic intent.
Paul Gauguin in the Marquesas Islands
In 1901, Paul Gauguin took a trip to the Marquesas Islands, a remote archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean. This trip was a significant moment in Gauguin’s life and career, as it marked a turning point in his artistic development and had a profound influence on the direction of his work.
The Marquesas Islands were a major source of inspiration for Gauguin, as he was drawn to their lush tropical landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history. The island’s indigenous people, the Marquesans, were also a major source of inspiration for the painter. He was fascinated by their traditional customs, religious beliefs, and way of life, which were in stark contrast to the industrialized society he had left behind in Europe.