Soyez amoureuses, vous serez heureuses (Love, and You Will Be Happy), from the Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints

Soyez amoureuses, vous serez heureuses (Love, and You Will Be Happy), from the Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints, created by Paul Gauguin, French, 1848-1903, in 1899. This complex work is an exceptional example of the artist’s revolutionary approach to the wood-block print medium during his final years. The composition is built upon an intricate layering process: a second-state impression is physically laid down onto a first-state impression.

The foundational layer features the first state, printed in yellow ocher ink on grayish-ivory wove paper, providing a soft, earthy base. Superimposed upon this is the second state, executed sharply in black ink on thin, ivory Japanese paper. This physical adherence of two distinct prints, utilizing varied papers and color palettes, demonstrates Gauguin's persistent experimentation with texture and multi-media effects within the traditionally singular print format. The verso of this piece further illustrates the intensity of the creation process, retaining a partial offset impression from the second state, utilizing black and yellow ocher ink mixed with oxidized linseed oil.

Gauguin’s innovative printmaking flourished in the late 1890s, defining a key aspect of late Post-Impressionism in France. Belonging to his Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints, this work explores themes of desire, happiness, and fate through deeply carved, expressive forms. The rough, monumental quality of the prints starkly contrasts with academic traditions and confirms Gauguin’s lasting influence on modern graphic arts. This rare, multi-layered impression of Soyez amoureuses, vous serez heureuses is currently housed in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.