Vision at the sermon

Artist

Paul Gauguin

When was Vision After the Sermon painted, and what materials were used?

Painted in 1888, using oil on canvas.

dimensions

72.2 cm × 91 cm

What is depicted?

Breton women in prayer envisioning the biblical scene of Jacob wrestling with an angel, separated by a symbolic tree.

What does the tree in the composition represent?

It divides the real (women praying) from the spiritual vision (Jacob and the angel), highlighting the painting's theme of inner spirituality.

What stylistic features define this painting?

Bold, flat colors; strong outlines; and a rejection of realism - ukiyo-e and japonisme influences in its form.

context

Painted during Gauguin’s stay in Brittany, influenced by Japanese prints and local piety; he sought to express the spiritual beyond the visible.

What was Gauguin’s artistic aim with this painting?

To convey an emotional and symbolic truth, not a literal narrative—moving away from Impressionism toward Symbolism.

How did Robert Hughes describe the painting?

praised its ‘intensity of color and form’ calling it ‘a revolutionary step toward modern art.’