Manao Tupapau (She is Haunted by a Spirit) by Paul Gauguin is a significant example of the artist's graphic output, executed in 1894. This print is a lithograph, created using the precise method of drawing on a stone matrix to produce striking images in dense black ink. Gauguin was deeply interested in the expressive potential of printmaking during his time in Tahiti, often utilizing the sharp, high contrasts inherent in the medium to enhance the emotional impact of his subjects. Created within the French period spanning 1876 to 1900, the work reflects the Post-Impressionist movement's turn toward Symbolism, focusing on internal psychological states rather than objective reality.
The subject matter, which is central to Gauguin’s constructed Tahitian mythology, depicts a reclining nude figure apparently confronting an unseen or shadowy presence. The title itself, Manao Tupapau, translates roughly from Polynesian languages as "thoughts of the spirit" or "she is haunted by a spirit," linking the imagery directly to island folklore concerning ancestral or nocturnal entities. Gauguin intentionally used these indigenous terms, aiming to convey a sense of universal, primal fear and spirituality that he felt Western society had lost. The composition is dramatically simplified and flattened, using the strong tonal differences characteristic of the lithograph to focus the viewer’s attention on the vulnerable figure and the implied threat lurking nearby.
While closely related to his well-known oil painting of the same name, this print version of Manao Tupapau offers a darker, more abstracted interpretation through its careful manipulation of line and tone. As a master of late 19th century graphic arts, Gauguin demonstrated how the print medium could isolate and amplify profound psychological themes. This important French work, classified as a fine art print and crucial for understanding the final period of this prolific artist, is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art.
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