Te atua (The God), from the Noa Noa Suite

Te atua (The God), from the Noa Noa Suite by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903, is a profound wood-block print executed between 1893 and 1894, capturing the artist's deep engagement with non-Western spiritualism following his first journey to Tahiti. This piece is part of the influential Noa Noa suite of prints, which Gauguin created back in France after his return from the South Pacific, using the suite both as illustrations for his manuscript autobiography and as independent works reflecting his Tahitian experiences.

The work is rendered as a wood-block print in black ink on tan wove paper. Gauguin intentionally embraced the raw, even crude, texture inherent in the woodcut technique. He carved the blocks himself, exploiting the natural grain and the resulting rough, irregular lines to imbue the imagery with an archaic, powerful energy. This technique starkly contrasts with the refined prints common during the period, aligning instead with Symbolist aims to evoke spiritual and emotional truth rather than mere representation. The composition focuses on a stylized deity figure, characteristic of the syncretic mythological subjects the artist developed during this phase.

As a pivotal figure in Post-Impressionism, Gauguin’s exploration of non-European forms and color contributed significantly to the trajectory of modern art. This print, along with others in the suite, exemplifies the artist's move toward simplified forms and expressive carving. This important piece of graphic art is housed within the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Given its cultural significance and age, high-quality images of these seminal prints by Gauguin are frequently made available, often entering the public domain for academic study and appreciation of late nineteenth-century France printmaking.