Maria met Kind is a striking print created by Paul Gauguin between 1894 and 1895. Executed on paper, this work is classified among the graphic experiments Gauguin pursued following his return from his first major trip to Tahiti. This period marks a crucial phase where the artist synthesized traditional Christian iconography with the flattened perspectives and bold, simplified forms derived from non-Western and Symbolist aesthetics.
Gauguin’s choice of the print medium allowed him to explore line and form with an intensity distinct from his painting, emphasizing textural qualities and stark contrasts that reinforce the image's primal energy. The subject, depicting the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, is interpreted not within a conventional European setting, but through a deeply personal lens that subverted the academic traditions of religious art prevalent at the time. This fusion of the sacred and the exotic defines the visual power of Maria met Kind.
The Rijksmuseum holds this significant example of Gauguin’s innovative graphic prints within its collection, highlighting his crucial role in developing modern printmaking. The preservation of these prints ensures that the visual language Gauguin pioneered continues to be studied. As influential works like this enter the public domain over time, they enable broader access to the pivotal developments that defined post-Impressionist art.
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