Three Puppies – Paul Guggain

When Gauguin painted Still Life with Three Puppies he was living in Brittany among a group of experimental painters. He abandoned naturalistic depictions and colors, declaring that “art is an abstraction” to be derived “from nature while dreaming before it.”

The puppies’ bodies, for example, are outlined in bold blue, and the patterning of their coats mirrors the botanical print of the tablecloth.

It is thought that Gauguin drew stylistic inspiration for this painting from children’s illustrations and from Japanese prints, which were introduced to him by his friend and fellow artist Vincent van Gogh that year.