Man with an Ax

"Man with an Ax" is a significant drawing created by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903, between 1891 and 1893. This crucial period marks Gauguin’s first self-imposed exile to Tahiti, a departure from metropolitan France to seek an environment he viewed as spiritually uncorrupted. Classified as a drawing, this piece utilizes a complex and layered mixed-media technique, demonstrating the artist’s characteristic experimental approach to materials.

The preparation involved thinned gouache applied over foundational layers established by pen and brown ink, subsequently refined with decisive applications of pen and black ink. The chosen substrate is cream wove paper, now naturally discolored to tan due to age and materials, which has been carefully laid down on cream Japanese paper for archival support.

Gauguin often employed drawings and works on paper like this to swiftly capture and develop the themes of indigenous life and primitive mythology that defined his Symbolist aesthetic. The blending of gouache with multiple ink layers results in a richness of surface texture and deep color intensity, despite the work's primary classification as a drawing rather than a painting. Works from this Tahitian era remain highly influential in the history of Post-Impressionism, demonstrating Gauguin's dramatic shift in subject matter and form. This important drawing is part of the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, and high-quality digital prints of the work are often made available through public domain initiatives for study and appreciation.