Back of Gauguin's studio, Pont Aven
- Artist: Archibald Standish Hartrick
- Date: 1886
- Medium: medium : material : oil; support : material : canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the “Back of Gauguin's studio, Pont Aven” by Archibald Standish Hartrick. The scene comes straight from 1886, when the Scottish painter spent a few months in the Breton artists’ colony of Pont‑Aven. Hartrick was keen to capture the everyday life of that tight‑knit community, and this canvas shows the rear of Gauguin’s own studio, a quiet corner where the Breton light drapes over rough walls and a modest laundry line.
Hartrick exhibited this work at the Paris Salon in 1887 under the title “Breton Laundry.” That name hints at the painting’s focus on the simple, rhythmic chores that defined rural Brittany. It also reflects the influence of Jules‑Bastien Lepage, whose rustic outdoor genre scenes were a major touchstone for many British painters visiting Pont‑Aven. In the composition you can see Hartrick’s careful use of oil on canvas to render the texture of the stone, the muted greens of the surrounding foliage, and the warm glow of the setting sun.
What makes this piece stand out is the way Hartrick balances the intimacy of a private studio with the broader cultural narrative of the Breton art colony. The painting invites you to step back, look beyond Gauguin’s fame, and see the everyday world that inspired so many artists to create their own stories.
See it in person
Back of Gauguin's studio, Pont Aven hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
