Manao tupapau (She Thinks of the Ghost or The Ghost Thinks of Her)

Manao tupapau (She Thinks of the Ghost or The Ghost Thinks of Her), created by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903 between 1894 and 1895, is a complex and highly personalized example of the artist's innovative approach to printmaking. Derived from his celebrated 1892 oil painting of the same subject, this print version expands upon the haunting theme of a reclining figure observed by a ghostly presence.

Technically, the print is a sophisticated achievement. Gauguin first executed the image as a wood-block print, utilizing two separate printings in black ink to achieve deep tonality and varied textures. Crucially, the artist did not rely on standard edition printing; instead, he manually applied a broad spectrum of watercolors, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and brown. This color was applied via both brush and stencil directly onto the ivory Japanese paper, laid down on a cream support, transforming the impression into a unique hand-finished artwork.

This piece was created during Gauguin's second sojourn in Tahiti and exemplifies his Post-Impressionist exploration of non-Western culture, symbolism, and anxiety. The subject matter reflects his intense engagement with Tahitian folklore, focusing on fear, spirituality, and the ambiguous border between the real and mythological worlds. Gauguin's mastery in translating his exotic vision into the medium of prints marks a significant contribution to 19th-century French art. This important work currently resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a key reference for studying the artist’s graphic production. Like many influential works from this period, reproductions of these remarkable prints are often distributed through public domain museum collections.