The Eiffel Tower, Paris, about 1890.

In January 1889 Gauguin was back in Paris after two months in Arles with Vincent van Gogh. He wrote to Vincent that he was creating the prints “with the aim of making myself better known.” Gauguin was also organizing an exhibition for summer 1889 to take advantage of the large crowds that would visit the Exposition Universelle in Paris. This world’s fair was designed to flaunt French cultural and industrial might, and its signature attraction was the 300-meter tower of Gustave Eiffel. Gauguin and his friends were not accepted into the official exhibition in the fair’s arts pavilion, so they appealed to Monsieur Volpini, who had opened a café within the fairgrounds. When the mirrors he had ordered to decorate the café failed to arrive, Volpini agreed to display their work.

Gauguin’s album of prints made their debut at that exhibition, and they have come to be known as the Volpini Suite. That occasion also marked the first time that paintings reflecting the progressive ideas of Gauguin and other artists of the Pont-Aven School were publicly displayed. His prints were listed at the end of the small catalogue as “viewable upon request.” This modest citation was the first reference to a body of work that now stands as one of the most important graphic projects of 19^th-century France.

The technical achievement of the Volpinis is even more remarkable given that they were Gauguin’s first attempt at printmaking. The prints are zincographs, a variation of lithography that calls for drawing on zinc plates rather than heavy lithographic stones. The challenges of this medium clearly appealed to Gauguin, and he approached his plunge into printmaking with confidence, daring to work on the zinc surfaces that make it more difficult to keep an image intact. He appreciated the rough, grainy textures of zincographs and intensified the results by printing on brilliant canary yellow paper. Working with a brush or pen, Gauguin applied washes, called lavis or tusche, to add rich tonal variety. These works made him a key contributor to the printmaking revival of late 19^th-century France, when artists, reacting to the proliferation of photo-mechanical reproductive prints, championed the fully original, limited-edition print. Gauguin probably made thirty to forty sets of the eleven-piece suite.

Paul Gauguin, "Martinique Pastorale," 1889.

The Volpini Suite draws upon Gauguin’s travels to Martinique, Brittany, and Arles. He had, as yet, not ventured to Tahiti. Many motifs were adapted from his paintings inspired by those locales, and they provide stunning examples of how cleverly the artist transferred images from one medium to another. While on one level the prints depict scenes from everyday life, their underlying themes are often ironic references to guilt and pleasure, fear, hope, sexuality and doubt.

Acquisition of the Volpini Suite fulfills a long-term goal for the IMA, where the prints enjoy a uniquely appropriate context. They are the ideal complement to the paintings in the museum’s Pont-Aven School Collection, recognized as the finest in America. Gauguin’s bold experiment in printmaking also provides a basis for thematic, stylistic, and technical links to the IMA’s extensive collection of graphics by other members of the School. As a group, the Volpini prints offer a vivid survey of Gauguin’s work at a critical juncture in his career, and they point us toward themes and motifs that will inspire the next fourteen years of his creative life.

Gauguin as Printmaker: The Volpini Suite opens this Friday, March 11, in the Golden Gallery on the second floor.  Tonight at 7pm join Dr. Heather Lemonedes, Curator of Drawings at the Cleveland Museum of Art, for a revealing talk on the connections in his work.

Tell Us A Little About Yourself:

Well, hello!  My name is Jessica Hancock and you’ve asked me to tell you a little about myself.  This is always a struggle as it’s easier to do in person, but the point of a “blogger” is to be as electronically-concise and as catchy as possible.  So, here goes…

I was born and raised in an Indianapolis suburb boasting mansions and cornfields, which did suit me well until I realized the world was a bigger place. Yep, it really is.  I convinced myself to pick up and study abroad in Londontown where my cultural education was based solely on gallery-hopping, pint-gulping and boarding cheap airlines to other countries, all while scraping the bottom of my bank account to mere pennies. ‘Twas a time! Fast forward through college, I am now a fundraiser by occupational trade and love being involved in the local community.  I’m stoked to say that, at the ripe age of 27, I proudly serve on two local Boards – Bicycle Indiana and more recently, I was invited to serve on the Earth House Collective Board.  How do I spend my time, you ask?  Easy. Picture me attending a smattering of as many live concerts as possible, traveling traveling traveling, monthly volunteering at the IMA, drinking copious amounts of black tea with cream & sugar, riding my bikes aimlessly through the streets of Indy and dallying about my new house.  I became a home owner this summer!  I count my blessings daily and never have forgotten where I came from [ahem, the sticks of Boone County].

Tell Us a Story:

My very first visit to the IMA was an embarrassing one, complete with a blushing red face and an uneasy stomach. In the third grade, my teacher took our class to the art museum.  Yay.  Upon arrival, I learned that my adorably-retired Grandma was to be our docent for the day.  This wouldn’t have been anything other than awesome, except I was in the midst of trying to woo a particularly cute male classmate of mine, and that day, I was disgustingly close to giving him the “circle yes or no” do-you-like-me note.  I had my plan all mapped out – I would slip him the note in the European art gallery, right under a Gauguin.  To make a painfully long story short, my Grandma whisked us through the American art galleries like a pro, and as soon as we entered into the Asian art gallery, she made a comment about how close I had been standing to a certain boy all day – out loud, so that all could hear. “Who is this boy, Jessie?” Thanks, Grandma.  The rest of the visit to the museum was spent in a mental fog, with at least a 75-foot distance between me and the boy.  Needless to say, I needed a second visit to become acquainted with the European galleries.  That day, I realized that I loved the IMA more than I loved my classmate.

Why should you be an IMA blogger?

I should be a blogger for the IMA not only because I am enjoyably familiar with the IMA galleries and activities, but also because I have been a megaphone for the museum this past year.

In 2009, I’ve seen many ups and downs of the museum.  This should not be overshadowed by the fact that I’ve also seen an increase in quality of exhibits, events and community awareness around Indy.  I would be honored to be apart of spreading the good word out through this blog opportunity, bridging that gap in person’s cerebellum contemplating “Hm. Should I go to the IMA today?  Or no.  Is it worth my time and money?”  This city is really coming around in terms of it’s artful offerings.  Sacred Spain was remarkable and free (?!!?!).  I hope that the whole darn city knew that and took advantage.  I’ll make it my personal duty to exemplify through words, my experiences, opinions and quirky thoughts on all-things IMA.  Pick me, pick me!

The Pharmacy prescribes the following links to combat Monday online anemia.

Blog: Vogel Appliance Blog

Flashy? No. Practical? Oh yes. If you’ve ever wondered how much dish soap you really need, this blog is for you.  This local appliance blog gives you tips and tricks that might help you save serious moolah come the winter season. And it’s coming soon.

ArtBabble Video: Jean Shin: Common Threads

IMA Work of Art:

Still Life with Profile of Laval by Paul Gauguin

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What a great evening at the IMA! Saw Osso, DM Stith, and The BQE with Q&A w/Sufjan Stevens. All were incredible!