Head of a Tahitian Woman
Medium
graphite with stumping and graphite wash on parchment
Dimensions
{"sheet":{"height":0.305,"width":0.244}}
Classification
Drawing
Department
Drawings
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams Collection
Accession Number
1949.439
Tags
About this artwork
This drawing belongs to a group of highly finished portrait drawings of Tahitians made by Paul Gauguin shortly after his arrival in the South Seas. While getting used to this new place, Gauguin initially avoided painting, preferring first to familiarize himself with the landscape and people through observation and drawing. The meticulous quality of this graphite study suggests that it was made from life. The woman’s noble face and enigmatic expression allude to the spirituality and melancholy th...