L’univers est créé (The Universe Is Being Created), from the Noa Noa Suite

L’univers est créé (The Universe Is Being Created), from the Noa Noa Suite by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903, is a highly experimental print created between 1893 and 1894. This key example of Symbolist graphic arts showcases Gauguin’s complex approach to the wood-block print medium. Rather than simply relying on traditional carving and impression techniques, the artist meticulously layered various media to achieve a unique chromatic and textural effect.

The primary image utilizes black ink, which retains traces of residual brown, applied with selective wiping to emphasize volumetric forms and control highlights. Over this foundation, Gauguin employed stenciling and transfer techniques to introduce solvent-thinned, oil-based colors in yellow, orange, red, blue, and green. Technical analysis reveals that these vibrant pigments often incorporated organic stabilizers, including beeswax and conifer resin, likely pine resin, demonstrating the artist’s commitment to innovative materiality. This approach transforms the work from a standard print into a mixed-media piece.

Created during Gauguin’s return to France from his first pivotal trip to Tahiti, the piece belongs to the influential Noa Noa Suite. This collection of prints served to illustrate his memoir detailing his Polynesian experiences, blending his French cultural heritage with mythological themes observed abroad. The image, depicting an emergent world, reflects Gauguin’s synthesis of non-Western spiritual concepts and contemporary Symbolist aesthetics, moving away from naturalism to prioritize internal, mythical truths. Originally printed on smooth, pink wove paper that has since faded to tan, this significant print resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.