Christmas Night (The Blessing of the Oxen)  1903

Gallery label: [br]This enigmatic view of a winter night in Brittany is a fascinating blend of the imagery Gauguin found so compelling. The steeple and cottages are based on sites in Pont-Aven, yet the women wear the dark headdresses of Le Pouldu. The oxen derive from Egyptian motifs, while the figures in the Breton nativity shrine were inspired by a Javanese frieze. Gaugu...