Man with an Ax

“Man with an Ax,” created by Paul Gauguin French, 1848–1903, between 1893 and 1894, is a complex study executed on heavily textured ivory wove paper. Although classified here as a print precursor, the work is technically a masterful drawing combining pen and black ink, brush and black wash, supplemented by pen and brown ink (which was originally a rich purple hue), and subtle touches of graphite.

Gauguin utilizes the contrast between the dense black wash and the coarse texture of the paper to evoke a powerful, atmospheric mood characteristic of his late career graphic works. The heavily layered application of media emphasizes the solidity and primal strength of the solitary figure holding the ax, suggesting themes of labor and unadulterated existence that preoccupied the artist. The intricate use of the brown ink, originally a dense violet tone, adds a subtle chromatic complexity, distinguishing it from purely monochromatic sketches of similar subjects.

Created shortly after Gauguin’s first extended journey to Tahiti, this piece reflects the Symbolist artist’s continued engagement with non-Westernized cultures and his search for an art form stripped of European academic tradition. This exploration, though deeply rooted in the context of fin-de-siècle France, heavily informed the work’s thematic power.

This significant drawing is part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s esteemed collection. As one of the influential graphic works that contributed to Gauguin’s later celebrated woodcut prints, the image of Man with an Ax remains a definitive example of the artist’s mature style. Due to its historical importance and the artist’s passing, this imagery is now widely accessible in the public domain.