Hina

Hina is a highly distinctive print by Paul Gauguin (French, 1848-1903), produced through the technical collaboration of printer Georges Daniel de Monfreid (French, 1856-1929). Dating from Gauguin’s transformative first voyage to Tahiti (1891-1893), this work is classified as a rubbing, executed in brown ink on fragile ivory tissue. Rather than being pulled from a traditional woodblock, this print was taken directly from the surface of a cylindrical wooden carving, allowing the artist to translate the tactile qualities and low relief of his sculptural endeavors into a two-dimensional graphic form.

This technique is characteristic of Gauguin’s experimental approach during this period, where he often sought to blur the lines between carving, painting, and prints. The title Hina refers to a major deity in Polynesian mythology, a goddess often associated with the moon, reflecting the Post-Impressionist master’s deep engagement with indigenous religious themes and visual culture during his self-imposed exile from France.

The production of such rubbings allowed Gauguin to document and circulate the unique carvings he created in the South Pacific, emphasizing line and form over traditional pictorial depth. This type of print offered an unusual intersection of graphic arts and sculpture, documenting the evolution of Gauguin's highly personal style as he moved away from European academic traditions. This singular piece is a vital example of the artist’s technical innovation and is preserved in the extensive permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.