img171 Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)

Description of Paul Gauguin’s painting "The Vision After the Sermon"

"The Vision After the Sermon" is the artist’s first work on the theme of faith. Gauguin painted it under the great impression of the religiosity of the Breton women we see on the canvas.

The painting attracts attention by its composition. It looks as if it is divided diagonally by a tree trunk. This symbolic technique, borrowed from Japanese tradition, is intended to distinguish between the lower part, where we see the women praying and the preacher, and the upper part, where the action takes place - the story of Jacob’s struggle with the angel. In this way the author wants to emphasize the contrast between the real world and the spiritual world.

To Jacob, the hero of Genesis, God descends in the form of an angel. Man wrestles with him in his quest for blessing and the forgiveness of his sins. Some sources claim that figuratively Jacob was not wrestling with God, but with his fear and mistrust.

Although female figures in national costumes are depicted in the foreground and occupy most of the painting, attention is focused on the biblical motif. This effect is achieved through deliberate contrast in the use of colors, dynamics, and rhythm. The lower part is static and executed in strict, repetitive color combinations. The upper one is energetic, bright and metaphorical.

A cow can be seen in the upper left corner of the picture. Traditionally, ancient people sacrificed the animal, so this element duplicates the meaning of the biblical parable and symbolizes redemption and humility, a passionate desire to be forgiven.

Looking closely at the faces of the people depicted, you will notice that the preacher resembles Gauguin himself, while the woman, painted in profile, resembles the artist’s muse, Madeleine Bernard.

The work is currently in the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh as one of the master’s most recognizable works, painted in the style of syntheticism.