Ia Orana Maria (We Greet Thee, Mary)
c. 1894
Medium
lithograph (zinc) in blue
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1963.11.99
Art Historical Context
**Ia Orana Maria (We G Thee, Mary)**, created by Paul Gauguin around 1894, is a striking lithograph printed in blue on a zinc plate. This print captures the Post-Impressionist master's fascination with Tahitian culture during his time in Polynesia, where he arrived in 1891 seeking escape from European conventions. The title, translating to "Hail Mary" in Tah, evokes a biblical scene reimagined through an exotic lens, blending Christian iconography with island life—a hallmark of Gauguin's primitivist vision. Gauguin's use of lithography on zinc allowed for intricate details and subtle tonal va...
About the Artist
Paul Gauguin · 1848–1903
Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) was a French Post-Impressionist painter whose bold experiments with color, form, and subject matter made him one of the most influential figures in the transition from 19th-century art to modernism. His rejection of European civilization for the perceived authenticity of 'primitive' cultures established an archetype of artistic exile that continues to resonate. Gauguin's ...