The Piglets of Le Pouldu

Paul Serusier was one of the artists who, along with Paul Gauguin, brought renown to Pont-Aven. He produced this canvas during a stay in the artists’ colony. Inspired by a moment from daily life, the canvas is structured around a diagonal divide between two fields of colour: a background of cool blues, and a foreground in warm ochre hues with the two piglets. The style of this work is characteristic of the Pont-Aven School, simplifying line and celebrating colour. It is also worth noting the bold framing, which truncates the female figure, and the single visible leg, which strikingly conveys movement. These elements reveal the influence of early photography and Japanese prints, which were just becoming known in France.