Maoris and Animals

Maoris and Animals by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903, is a compelling example of the artist’s innovative approach to printmaking during his final years in the South Pacific. Created between 1896 and 1897, this work is a wood-block print executed in yellow ocher ink, demonstrating Gauguin's commitment to expressive, hand-hewn textures.

What distinguishes this piece is the incorporation of multiple techniques and unusual materials. The print is applied to cream wove notebook paper distinctly ruled in blue, suggesting its initial existence within a private sketchbook or journal. Gauguin then heightened the monochromatic design with hand-applied media, adding washes of gray-blue watercolor and small touches of red watercolor, transforming the work from a simple print into a unique, mixed-media object.

Though classified under the culture of France, the subject matter reflects Gauguin’s immersion in the imagery and spiritual beliefs of Oceania. The depiction of Maoris alongside various animals evokes the themes of indigenous myth and the return to a primal existence that dominated the French artist’s output during this period. The physicality and roughness of the woodcut technique perfectly complements the work’s thematic search for the primitive.

This intricate process highlights Gauguin’s determination to push the boundaries of printmaking as a major artistic expression, separate from his oils. The piece is held in the renowned collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it offers critical insight into 1848-1903’s revolutionary impact on modernist prints and symbolist art.