Paul Gauguin (1848 - 1903)

“The White Horse” illustrates particularly well the peculiar fashion in which Gauguin combined the flat pattern and asymmetrical composition of Japanese prints with an execution derived from the Impressionists and a palette rich in exotic colours and contrasts. He painted this work with vivid brush strokes (occasionally using a palette knife) applied on coarse canvas, the rough texture of which adds to its mysterious savagery.

The diagonal branches provide the arabesque that pulls together the various large planes of more or less uniform colours. Against these flat areas, which give the landscape an abstract character, appear the horses and the riders treated in a three-dimensional way, with shadows carefully modelling their forms. Yet contrasts of colour, lines, and forms are well integrated, leading the eye from the white flower in the right hand corner to the curved lines of the horse and across the meandering branches into an undefined distance.

Task 4.2. Read the texts again and note the following points:

1) how each description is made (e.g. First comes general information about the author, then the contents of his picture is given etc.)

2) words and word combinations which make these descriptions bright and vivid;

3) connectives which help to develop the description smoothly.

Task 4.3. Select a reproduction of a famous painting and describe it according to the following plan:

1. The general information (the title of the picture and the name of the artist; the period, trend or school of painting; the kind and genre of the picture).

2. The contents of the picture (place, time and setting if necessary; if it is a portrait, the age and physical appearance of the sitter; the accessories and environment).

3. The composition (what can be found in the foreground/ background / in the corner? Is the arrangement symmetrical or asymmetrical? Etc.)

4. The colouring (The colour scheme. Light and shade effects)

5. The techniques used by the painter (How was colour applied to the canvas? Are the brushstrokes smooth or broken, delicate or rough? Etc.)

6. Interpretation and evaluation (What is the general impression of the picture? What is the emotional impact of the picture? What feelings, moods or ideas does it evoke?)