A Fisherman Drinking Beside His Canoe

"A Fisherman Drinking Beside His Canoe" is a significant wood-block print created by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903, in 1894. This work is notable for its exploration of complex printing methods, featuring two distinct impressions applied to opposing sides of the paper. The primary image on the recto presents the composition rendered simply in black ink on tan wove paper, showcasing Gauguin’s characteristic heavy lines and flattened, monumental forms often associated with his Post-Impressionist style.

The verso, however, provides a key insight into the artist’s experimental approach to color prints. Here, a second wood-block impression in black ink is layered over stencil-applied red and yellow inks on cream wove paper. This intensive, manual technique allowed Gauguin to transcend the limitations of conventional printmaking, transforming the simple woodcut medium into a highly symbolic and decorative artistic statement. Gauguin’s pioneering prints redefined the status of relief printing in France during the late 19th century, moving it beyond mere reproduction.

Produced shortly after Gauguin's return from Tahiti, the imagery in works like A Fisherman Drinking Beside His Canoe synthesizes his exposure to Polynesian culture with European modernist traditions. Gauguin embraced primitivism, employing bold compositions and symbolic color to imbue the subject matter with spiritual resonance. This rare example of Gauguin’s technical complexity in printmaking is housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, serving as an important document of his relentless artistic innovation.