Painted in the autumn of 1889 in Le Pouldu, Brittany, Self-Portrait with Halo and Snake (Autoportrait avec auréole et serpent) is one of the most intellectually charged and visually arresting self-portraits of the 19th century. Created just after the disappointment of the Universal Exposition in Paris and his return from Pont-Aven, Gauguin depicted himself with a saintly yellow halo above his head and a writhing red serpent held by his hand, while the background blooms with flowering apples and dark sinuous vegetation. By juxtaposing Christian iconography with serpentine temptation and contrasting his reddish-brown features against flat fields of vibrant yellow, orange, and green, Gauguin declared his complex persona as both a tortured moral seeker and a fallen angel of modern art. Housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., this canvas remains a masterpiece of early Cloisonnism and Symbolist identity.
Studio Craftsmanship & Quality Highlights
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100% Hand-Painted Cloisonnist Technique: Meticulously hand-crafted with flat, rich oil paint fields, expressive dark contours, and vibrant yellow-orange color blocking by master painters specializing in late 19th-century French Post-Impressionism.
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Psychological & Iconic Detail Fidelity: Faithfully reproduces Gauguin’s intense gaze, the golden halo, the coiling red snake, the blooming apple tree branches, and the decorative background framing.
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Archival Fine Art Materials: Crafted on heavy-duty, archival linen canvas with lightfast oil pigments designed to retain permanent color brilliance, depth, and structural stability across generations.
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Rigorous Quality Control: Every finished canvas undergoes multi-stage studio evaluation under specialized daylight-balanced lighting to ensure exact color saturation, spatial balance, and historic character.
Recommended Space Placement
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Private Studies & Creative Studios: Infuses home offices, libraries, and art studios with profound creative passion, art-historical depth, and intellectual edge.
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Modern Living Rooms & Feature Accent Walls: Serves as a captivating, conversation-starting focal point above fireplaces, consoles, or main seating arrangements.
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Curated Collector Salons & Modern Galleries: Pairs effortlessly alongside late 19th-century Post-Impressionist works, Symbolist art, and historic artist portraits.
5. Product Specifications
| Feature | Details |
| Title | Self-Portrait with Halo and Snake (Autoportrait avec auréole et serpent) |
| Artist | Paul Gauguin |
| Original Date | 1889 |
| Art Style | Cloisonnism / Post-Impressionism / Symbolism |
| Period | Breton Period (Le Pouldu, France) |
| Genre | Self-Portrait / Psychological Study |
| Production Method | 100% Hand-Painted Oil Reproduction |
| Medium | Fine Oil on Archival Linen Canvas (Original on wood panel) |
| Dimensions | $72.9 \times 51.3\text{ cm}$ ($28.7 \times 20.2\text{ in.}$) |
| Original Location | National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, US |
| Shipping Format | Heavy-duty rolled tube delivery (Unframed / Custom stretching & framing options available) |
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