Le Sourire;Taiti (Smile; Tahiti)

The print Le Sourire;Taiti (Smile; Tahiti), created by Paul Gauguin in 1899, is a remarkable example of the artist's late graphic output. Executed as a woodcut on transparent laid tissue paper, the technique itself contributes significantly to the work's delicate texture and spectral quality. Gauguin, heavily invested in printmaking during his later years in the South Pacific, often employed the demanding woodcut medium to capture the raw, simplified forms derived from Indigenous iconography and mythological narratives.

Reflecting the artist’s deeply felt connection to Tahitian culture, this piece presents a highly stylized visual language characteristic of Gauguin’s Post-Impressionist sensibility. The composition focuses on a central figure or grouping, whose serene expression justifies the title's reference to the smile. Surrounding this central motif are subtly rendered symbols and figures, including the abstracted forms of both Birds and Horses. The dynamic outlines and stark contrasts inherent in the woodcut process imbue the imagery, particularly the swift suggestion of the horses, with a sense of primitive energy and mythic resonance that the artist sought in his idealized vision of the island.

This important work demonstrates Gauguin's continuing exploration of primal spirituality and non-Western subject matter during his second stay in Tahiti. As one of the significant prints produced near the end of the century, it showcases his innovative approach to the graphic arts, utilizing the inherent boldness of the cut block combined with the fragile quality of the tissue support. Today, this unique example of the artist's exploration into primitivism is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Prints of works from this important phase are often studied by researchers and are sometimes made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring the accessibility of Gauguin's compelling graphic legacy.