A Tahitian Woman with a Flower in Her Hair

"A Tahitian Woman with a Flower in Her Hair" is a powerful drawing created by Paul Gauguin between 1891 and 1892, during his initial period of extended residence in Tahiti. Classified as a drawing, this piece showcases Gauguin’s complex draftsmanship through the combination of multiple mediums: charcoal defines the strong contour lines, while red chalk adds warmth and subtle tonality to the skin. Pastel and wash are utilized selectively to enhance depth and provide atmospheric softness, creating an effect that often contrasts with the flatter color planes found in his contemporary oil paintings.

The subject is presented in a deliberate, classic profile view, a compositional choice frequently employed by Gauguin to capture the dignity and contemplative nature of the indigenous women he depicted. The woman’s strong features are emphasized, adhering to the artist's idealized vision of Polynesian life as a contrast to modern European society. The inclusion of the flower prominently positioned in her hair is a key element, functioning both as adornment and as an ethnographic reference point regarding local customs and communication.

This significant transitional work is now held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is recognized as a crucial example of Gauguin’s engagement with South Pacific culture before his full transition into Symbolism. Because the imagery is so central to the artist's career, high-quality prints and reproductions of this drawing are widely accessible, often distributed through institutional archives and accessible to the public domain, ensuring the enduring study of Gauguin’s distinctive approach to the human figure.