Te atua (The God), from the Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints
1898/99
Medium
Second-state impression laid down on first-state impression Wood-block print of second state in black ink on lunette-shaped, thin ivory Japanese paper, laid down on wood-block print of first state in brownish-black ink on lunette-shaped ivory wove paper
Dimensions
Image/primary/secondary support: 23.1 × 20.2 cm (9 1/8 × 8 in.)
Classification
woodcut
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
44782
Art Historical Context
Paul Gauguin's *Te atua (The God)*, created around 1898–99, captures the artist's immersion in Tahitian culture during his second stay on the island. Part of his *Suite of Late Wood-B Prints*, this work reflects Gauguin's fascination with Polynesian mythology and. "Te atua," meaning "The God" in Maori, likely evokes ancient idols and rituals, blending exoticism with Post-Impressionist boldness. Gauguin, seeking escape from Western civilization, produced these prints amid financial hardship and illness, using rudimentary tools to channel a raw, primal aesthetic inspired by Japanese ukiyo-e and ...
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 ...