Vision after the Sermon by Paul Gauguin

Vision after the Sermon by Paul Gauguin, completed in 1888, exemplifies Gauguin's interest in a new aesthetic. After the eighth Impressionist exhibition, Gauguin struck out to find his own mode of expression. Searching for a more authentic environment than urban Paris, Paul Gauguin made repeated visits to remote regions of Brittany. In a bold rejection of naturalism, Gauguin painted Vision After the Sermon -- a depiction of Breton women and their priest who witness Jacob struggling with the angel -- dissolving the barrier between the zones of religious belief and spiritual imagination.

vision after the sermon by paul gauguin
Vision after the Sermon by Paul Gauguin (oil on
canvas, 28-3/4x36-1/4 inches) hangs in the National
Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Eventually Paul Gauguin left France altogether in an attempt to find other inspiration. The place he chose was Tahiti. Keep reading to learn about a painting Gauguin created after visiting the tropics.

For more on Impressionist paintings, artists, and art history, see: