Crouching Tahitian Woman (related to the painting Nafea faa ipoipo [When Will You Marry?])

Crouching Tahitian Woman (related to the painting Nafea faa ipoipo [When Will You Marry?]) by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903, is an important preparatory drawing created early in the artist’s first period on the island of Tahiti (1891-1893). Classified as a drawing, this particular work served as a study for one of the two central figures in the renowned painting Nafea faa ipoipo, which Gauguin completed in 1892. The classification as a study reveals the artist's complex process of refining forms before committing them to oil on canvas.

Gauguin employed pastel over charcoal, a technique that allowed for quick definition and subtle color modulation. The underlying structure was established using charcoal, and the contours were enhanced with subsequent pastel applications. Crucially, the surface shows evidence of selective stumping, a blending technique used to soften transitions and create smoky tonal effects. The support is cream wove paper, now discolored to tan due to its age and handling. Furthermore, the sheet is squared in black chalk, a standard practice indicating that the artist was preparing the figure for scale transfer to a larger composition. This methodology highlights Gauguin's meticulous approach, even as he was immersing himself in the exotic environment of the South Pacific, far from France.

This drawing captures Gauguin’s enduring focus on the female figure and his synthesis of post-Impressionist techniques with Polynesian subject matter. The subject's contemplative posture embodies the sense of cultural observation and stillness that defines much of his work from this transitional decade. The survival of such detailed preparatory works offers invaluable insight into the creation of his major Tahitian oil paintings. This significant drawing is part of the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, making the study available for academic review and potential high-quality prints.