The Road

Painted in 1884 during Gauguin's early years as a professional artist, this landscape of a road or lane reflects his Impressionist grounding before the radical Synthetist developments of the later 1880s. He was working alongside Pissarro and absorbing Impressionist technique, and scenes of rural lanes and paths were classic Impressionist subjects. The modesty of this early work makes it valuable as evidence of Gauguin's starting point before his radical transformation. Held at the Kunsthaus Zürich alongside several other Gauguin early works in the collection.

The handling is impressionistic — broken, varied brushstrokes record light on the road surface and flanking vegetation. The palette is light and naturalistic, responsive to observed conditions. The composition has a simple, direct quality characteristic of Impressionist plein air work, without the symbolic weight or formal boldness of Gauguin's mature style.