Manau tupapau (She Thinks of the Ghost or The Ghost Thinks of Her), from the Noa Noa Suite

Manau tupapau (She Thinks of the Ghost or The Ghost Thinks of Her), from the Noa Noa Suite by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903, is a seminal example of modern wood-block printmaking created between 1893 and 1894. This complex print demonstrates Gauguin’s willingness to push the boundaries of the medium. The piece was printed twice, sequentially, using both brown and black inks to build depth and texture. The artist further manipulated the surface through selective wiping of the block, enhancing the contrast and expressive qualities of the imagery. Unique to this impression is a transferred twill pattern, lending a distinctive tactile quality to the surface of the original pale-pink wove paper, which has since faded to tan.

The print belongs to the celebrated group of images known as the Noa Noa suite, designed to accompany Gauguin’s manuscript documenting his experiences in Tahiti. The subject directly references a key narrative moment in the text: the artist’s attempt to understand and assuage the fear of his companion, Teha’amana, who is seized by terror, believing a tupapau or ghost is present. Gauguin captures the anxiety and psychological intensity of the moment through simplified, monumental forms and high contrast. The deliberate crudeness of the wood-block technique underscores the primitive, spiritual themes central to his work in the Pacific. This important example of French Post-Impressionist prints is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.