Nativity (Mother and Child Surrounded by Five Figures)

Nativity (Mother and Child Surrounded by Five Figures) is a significant late-career work by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903, executed between 1897 and 1903. Although classified as a print due to its reproductive nature, the piece is technically a complex transfer drawing accomplished in brown and black ink on cream wove paper. This innovative process allowed Gauguin to achieve rich, mottled textures and stark contrasts by manually transferring ink impressions onto the paper surface, imparting a deliberately rough quality to the imagery.

The composition centers on the Mother and Child, a recurrent spiritual motif in Gauguin's oeuvre, here framed by five attending figures. Unlike traditional European interpretations of the Nativity, this piece interprets the biblical theme through the artist’s unique Symbolist perspective, merging sacred subject matter with the flattened forms and evocative simplicity characteristic of his style. The figures appear heavy and contemplative, suggesting a meditation on protective guardianship rather than a specific narrative moment.

The complexity of the object is further revealed by the verso, which features additional studies in graphite and red chalk. This layering demonstrates the rigorous working method employed by Gauguin during his final years. Created while the artist was largely removed from cultural centers in France, this graphic work confirms his continued interest in using drawing and prints to disseminate his unique mythological vision. This layered and highly personal rendition of the Nativity (Mother and Child Surrounded by Five Figures) is preserved within the distinguished collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.