Manao Tupapau (She is Haunted by a Spirit)

Manao Tupapau (She is Haunted by a Spirit), created in 1894 by Paul Gauguin and Louis Roy, is a highly regarded example of color woodcut on Japan paper. This distinctive print, classified as a significant graphic work from the French artistic community of the period 1876 to 1900, encapsulates Gauguin’s fascination with the exotic and the spiritual during his time in Tahiti. The medium itself was central to the artist's aesthetic goals, allowing him to employ deliberately raw, broad cuts and heavily inked surfaces that contrasted sharply with the refined graphic styles popular in Europe at the time.

The image revisits the theme and composition of Gauguin’s earlier 1892 painting of the same name. It depicts a frightened, nude Tahitian woman lying prone on a bed, observed by a dark figure representing the tupapau, or ghost, of Tahitian folklore. This exploration of fear, superstition, and the non-Western spiritual realm was fundamental to Gauguin’s Post-Impressionist and Symbolist output. The utilization of the woodcut technique allowed for a simplification of form and an intensification of the emotional narrative, creating deep shadows and stark highlights that heighten the drama of the midnight encounter. Louis Roy, a crucial collaborator, was instrumental in the technical execution and printing of many of Gauguin’s woodcut designs, translating the artist’s unique visions into the demanding relief process.

This influential work is recognized for its contribution to the revival of the printmaking tradition in the late 19th century. The intense colors and stylized primitivism evident in this version of Manao Tupapau influenced younger Symbolist artists seeking alternatives to academic naturalism. This historical print resides within the collection of the National Gallery of Art. As the work is part of a culturally significant historical collection, high-quality images of this French masterpiece are often found in the public domain, making Gauguin’s groundbreaking graphic art accessible for study and appreciation worldwide.