At the Black Rocks, from the Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints

At the Black Rocks, from the Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints is a significant print created by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903, between 1898 and 1899. This period marks the culmination of Gauguin’s exploration of primitivism and his innovative approach to graphic arts during his final years in the South Pacific. The piece is a wood-block print executed entirely in black ink on moderately thick cream wove paper, a demanding medium that requires decisive carving and skillful inking.

The raw, expressive quality inherent in the woodcut medium perfectly complemented the artist’s aesthetic goals of simplification and dramatic expression. Unlike his earlier smooth canvases, the grain and rugged cuts necessary for producing these late prints allowed Gauguin to achieve striking contrasts between deep, velvety blacks and the stark luminosity of the paper surface. This dramatic simplification of form and reliance on heavy outlines are characteristic of Gauguin’s Post-Impressionist output. Although deeply inspired by Polynesian imagery, the work demonstrates the artist's continuous commitment to challenging the academic traditions of fine art established in France.

Gauguin’s decision to revisit printmaking so rigorously late in his career resulted in some of his most profound and challenging graphic works. This piece, classified simply as a print, remains an essential study for understanding the evolution of the modern woodcut as a vehicle for artistic expression. As a historically important piece by the French master, this work is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The museum preserves and interprets this vital connection between European Modernism and graphic art traditions. Like many historically significant artworks from this era, similar Gauguin pieces eventually enter the public domain, ensuring broad access and academic study for scholars globally.