In Le Pouldu, the Artists' Trail begins at the Gauguin l'atelier du Pouldu interpretation centre, placing paintings alongside the landscapes that inspired Gauguin, Sérusier, Filiger, Meijer de Haan and Henry Moret. The route has 19 stops through beaches, cliffs, fields, hamlets and the banks of the Laïta.
Two loops to suit your pace
Choose between a long 5 km loop and a short 2 km loop. The shorter route is advertised as accessible to people with reduced mobility if accompanied. Four additional interpretation points extend the trail between Grands Sables beach and Kerou beach.
Which places will you recognise?
Reproductions are positioned as close as possible to the original subjects: Port-Guerrec beach, Port-Castel, the pilot-mast path, Kerzellec village, Bas Pouldu, Stervilin cove, Bellangenêt and Kerou beach. Visitors can move from Gauguin's The Wave to scenes by Sérusier, Filiger or Maufra while observing the real surroundings.
Why is Le Pouldu important in art history?
In the late 19th century, Gauguin stayed at Marie Henry's Buvette de la Plage here, alongside Sérusier, Meijer de Haan and other artists. This period contributed to the development of Synthetism, featuring flat areas of colour, simplified forms and compositions moving away from naturalistic representation.
The extra touch
Starting at the interpretation centre provides useful context before setting out. Once you are standing before the cliffs, fields or the Laïta, the painters' choices of framing and simplification become much easier to appreciate.
