Tahitian Girl in Pink Pareu

"Tahitian Girl in Pink Pareu" is a highly characteristic print created by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903, in 1894. This work exemplifies the artist’s profound engagement with the subjects and atmosphere of the South Pacific during the peak of his career. Classified as a print, the piece was executed using a complex and expressive technique: a watercolor monotype derived from a paper matrix on cream laid paper.

Gauguin frequently experimented with printmaking processes, viewing them not merely as reproductive tools but as unique mediums for expressing color and form. The monotype process allowed him to merge the spontaneity of drawing with the subtle depth of painting, creating singular impressions rather than standardized editions. This specific application of watercolor onto a paper matrix—a practice Gauguin favored upon his second return to France—lends the finished work a soft, atmospheric quality distinct from his large oil canvases. The subject, a young Tahitian woman wrapped in a pink pareu, reflects the artist's ongoing exploration of non-Western culture, a key thematic defining Post-Impressionism.

The decision to create a monotype allowed Gauguin to maintain control over color saturation and texture, resulting in delicate prints that are painterly yet graphic. Through the unique materiality of this technique, Gauguin captures both the decorative richness of the tropics and a powerful sense of introspection inherent in many of his Polynesian figures. This historically important work, illustrating the mastery Gauguin achieved in the print medium during his most productive years, is held in the renowned permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.