Paul Gauguin

Rare lithograph with watercolour and gouache hand-colouring in white and olive green, 1889, signed in pencil, inscribed Dessins Lithographiques   by the artist, from the first edition, on canary yellow wove paper, printed by Edward Ancourt, Paris, published by the artist

Trimmed and glued to board (possibly by the artist), a tear (approximately 50mm) in lower edge of sheet (through the signature), other occasional short tears and small areas of paper loss at the outer edges of sheet, paper discoloration, surface soiling, other minor defects, unframed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The first printed work the artist ever produced, this rare lithograph served as the cover for Gauguin's Dix Zincographies, an album prepared for the important Synthetist exhibition at the Café Volpini in 1889. According to Boyle-Turner and Josefowitz in The Prints of the Pont-Aven School, unsold proofs of this subject were left uncoloured on large sheets of paper, while impressions such as the one offered here were cut down to fit the Dix Zincographies album covers. It was these trimmed proofs that were coloured with gouache and watercolour by the artist.

While the exact size of this first edition is unknown, Kornfeld states that 30-50 impressions were probably produced, and not all of the prints were assembled into albums. A second edition of approximately 50 impressions was published by Ambroise Vollard in the early 1900s. These works were printed in black and white on simili-japan paper.