Christ on the Cross

Christ on the Cross by Paul Gauguin is an expressive print located in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This work, dated 1926, is a rubbing executed on delicate Japan paper. While Gauguin died in 1903, the 1926 date signifies the creation of this specific print, likely posthumously produced from one of his earlier carved or drawn compositions exploring the themes of suffering and spirituality.

The subject matter centers on the traditional depiction of Christ upon the Cross. Gauguin repeatedly addressed religious iconography throughout his career, often stripping down traditional narrative elements to focus on raw emotion and symbolic weight. Unlike his colorful, highly stylized oil paintings from the Tahitian period, this rubbing relies on the simplicity and starkness inherent to the print medium. The technique used emphasizes texture and line, giving the figure of Christ a powerful, graphic presence that conveys profound human anguish.

This piece exemplifies Gauguin’s continued engagement with profound spiritual imagery, placing the burden of the Cross within his unique Symbolist-Primitivist framework. The utilization of Japan paper provides a subtly textured ground, elevating the rubbing beyond a simple reproduction.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art maintains a key collection of graphic works and prints by the artist. These public domain works are crucial for understanding the full breadth of Gauguin’s technical explorations beyond painting. This specific print confirms the enduring influence of the artist’s stylistic interpretations of the Christ figure on early 20th-century artistic movements.