La vierge et l'enfant (The Virgin and Child)

La vierge et l'enfant (The Virgin and Child) by Paul Gauguin, created in 1895, represents a significant late-career exploration of religious themes through the medium of printmaking. This specific work is executed as a zincograph in blue ink on heavy japan paper, a technique and substrate choice that lends a rich, almost handcrafted quality to the imagery. Produced toward the end of the 1876 to 1900 period, the piece reflects Gauguin’s continued departure from naturalism and his deep engagement with Symbolist ideals, which marked much of French artistic output at the time.

While the subject is the canonical Virgin and Child, Gauguin treats the scene with his characteristic blend of exoticism and formal simplification. Unlike classical depictions, this image is characterized by flat areas of color suggested by the consistent blue tone, strong outlines derived from the zincograph plate, and an emotional, decorative style that defined his work after his definitive move to Tahiti. The print functions both as a traditional devotional image and a modernist statement, synthesizing European iconography with the artist’s unique perspective on spirituality and Primitivism. The intense blue of the ink, unusual for traditional religious prints, enhances the somber, symbolic mood of the composition.

The classification of the work as a print demonstrates Gauguin's commitment to making his complex visual language accessible through reproducible media late in the 19th century. La vierge et l'enfant showcases his sophisticated use of line and tone, even within the limits of the zincograph process. This rare blue impression is housed in the distinguished collection of the National Gallery of Art, offering viewers a key example of Gauguin’s graphic output from 1895. Like many important historic prints, this artwork contributes to the growing corpus of materials available for research and public domain study.