GAUGUIN, Paul: Vision after the Sermon (Jacob Wrestling with the Angel)

Vision after the Sermon (Jacob Wrestling with the Angel) Painted in Pont-Aven, Brittany in 1888, this revolutionary work marks Gauguin's break from Impressionism toward Symbolism and Synthetism, a bold new style emphasizing flat planes of vivid color and bold outlines over realistic detail. The composition depicts Breton women witnessing a religious vision of Jacob's biblical struggle, yet Gauguin's radical formal choices—the vermillion ground, the simplified figures, and the Japanese-influenced spatial compression—transform a spiritual subject into a modern artistic manifesto. This painting became a cornerstone of Post-Impressionist innovation, profoundly influencing the development of modern art through its daring rejection of naturalistic representation.