Te atua (The God), from the Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints

Te atua (The God), from the Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints is a powerful graphic work created by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903, between 1898 and 1899. Classified as a print, this piece originates from a significant late series developed during the final years of the artist’s self-imposed exile in the South Pacific. The subject matter, Te atua (meaning ‘The God’ in Tahitian), reflects Gauguin’s enduring fascination with synthesizing Polynesian mythology and spirituality with his own Symbolist interpretations of the divine.

This work is executed as a wood-block print, utilizing black ink impressed upon thin ivory laid Japanese paper. The medium’s inherent qualities, including deliberate coarseness and stark contrasts, allowed Gauguin to achieve a raw, expressive quality distinct from his oil paintings. The 1898-1899 suite demonstrates the artist's refined mastery of the primitivist aesthetic he pioneered, marking a definitive departure from traditional French academic techniques. The intentional simplicity and monumental scale of the deity figure underline the emotional depth Gauguin sought to convey about faith and existence outside of European modernity.

Gauguin’s prints from this era are considered some of the most influential graphic works in the history of modern art. His decision to utilize the demanding woodcut medium provided a direct link to ancient artistic traditions. Today, this important example of printmaking from France resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a landmark work created in 1898, images of this piece are often available through public domain resources, ensuring its continued study and accessibility across global art platforms.