Interior of a Tahitian Hut, from the Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints

Interior of a Tahitian Hut, from the Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints by Paul Gauguin (French, 1848-1903) is a powerful example of the artist's engagement with printmaking during his final years in the South Pacific. Created between 1898 and 1899, this work exemplifies Gauguin’s distinctive approach to the wood-block print medium. The impression, rendered in black ink on thin ivory Japanese paper, lends the image a stark textural contrast and rough quality, relying on deeply incised lines and broad, flat areas of tone rather than fine detail.

The subject offers an intimate, yet idealized, view of a domestic Tahitian dwelling, focusing on the inhabitants and the simple, spare geometry of the interior space. Gauguin used this specific suite of prints not merely as reproductive material, but as primary exploratory works, simplifying forms radically to convey atmosphere and psychological depth. This commitment to the graphic arts, evidenced by the bold cuts into the wood block, underscores the importance of the prints within the artist's overall legacy. Produced while the artist was residing in Tahiti, the finished prints often reached his dealers in France, confirming his continued influence on European modernism.

Unlike his well-known, brightly colored paintings, this wood-block print achieves its expressive impact through the rawness of the medium, utilizing tonal variation and texture to capture the specific quality of light and shadow within the traditional hut. The resulting intensity makes this classification of Interior of a Tahitian Hut a critical document of Gauguin's final, radical explorations in graphic media. This impression resides within the distinguished collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.