The Talisman

Painted in 1888 in Pont-Aven, “The Talisman” is the most celebrated work of Paul Serusier. Serusier painted this masterpiece under the guidance of Paul Gauguin. This is evident from the handwritten inscription present on the backside of the panel. A key member of the Nabis group, Serusier is often regarded as a forerunner of abstract art, someone who pushed painting a step closer to it well before the term existed. “The Talisman” is a perfect example of this radical move away from realism. Unlike the Impressionists, the stress is placed on mood and sensitivity rather than capturing fleeting moments or photographic realism. The story behind the painting is almost as important as the painting itself. Gauguin reportedly told Serusier to stop copying exactly what he saw and instead paint the trees, water, and shadows in pure, exaggerated color. This advice was taken seriously by Serusier, who painted what he felt and not what he literally saw. When Serusier brought the small wooden panel back to Paris and showed it to his classmates at the Academie Julian, they were struck enough to give it its name, treating it almost like a sacred object. It hung afterward in their meeting space, which they nicknamed “The Temple,” and this small painting effectively became the founding image around which the Nabis group formed. However, what’s interesting is that this particular painting stands apart from the rest of their work. Serusier’s piece was never meant to be a grand artistic statement, yet it went on to shape an entire movement.