Noa noa (Fragrant)

The complex wood-block print Noa noa (Fragrant) was executed by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903 during 1894-1895. While many of Gauguin’s graphic works were designed for wide circulation, this particular impression transcends the typical definition of a standard print. Rendered initially in black ink using the raw, expressive qualities of the woodcut technique, the artist transformed the image into a unique mixed-media object through the careful, post-production application of multiple watercolors. Gauguin used rich tones of red, orange, blue, mauve, and varying shades of light and dark green, applying them directly onto the delicate parchment support. This laborious hand-coloring process emphasizes the artist's desire to control the final chromatic impact, lending the work the vivid intensity typically associated with his celebrated oil paintings.

This piece belongs firmly to the period of Post-Impressionism and reflects the symbolic themes Gauguin developed following his first transformative stay in Tahiti. The title, which means 'fragrant' or 'sweet-smelling,' is taken from the semi-autobiographical travelogue Gauguin wrote concurrently, detailing his experiences and spiritual explorations in the South Seas. For the artist, the woodcut served as a deliberate rejection of polished European academic realism, allowing him to simplify forms and rely on bold contrasts and flat planes of color, characteristics fundamental to the artistic culture of fin de siècle France.

The imagery found in the Noa Noa prints reflects Gauguin’s deeply personal mythology, often blending Tahitian figures, spiritual symbols, and the lush, exotic environment he idealized. Gauguin (1848-1903) mastered the wood-block medium to create haunting, evocative imagery that communicated a raw, expressive power distinct from his earlier graphic works. This rare, hand-colored impression stands as a powerful synthesis of graphic art and painting, documenting the final evolution of his aesthetic. It is a key example of the artist's symbolic vision and is housed in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.