Te Atua (The Gods) Small Plate

Te Atua (The Gods) Small Plate is a sophisticated woodcut created by Paul Gauguin between 1898 and 1899. This distinctive Print showcases the artist’s innovative approach to graphic media late in his career. The technique involves a meticulous process: two separate woodcuts were carefully laminated onto delicate Japanese paper before the resulting composite was double-mounted onto a heavier sheet of wove paper. This layered construction grants the image unusual depth and texture, setting it apart from standard relief prints.

Produced during Gauguin’s final years in the South Pacific, the work is deeply tied to his exploration of indigenous Tahitian culture and mythology. The title, Te Atua, translates to The Gods, confirming its focus on spiritual and non-Western iconography. As a critical example of French art created during the crucial period of 1876 to 1900, the composition reflects the Symbolist movement's tendency to reject naturalism in favor of evocative forms and psychological depth. Gauguin employed simplified, powerful figures and strong contour lines, characteristics that would influence subsequent generations of modernist artists.

The piece is emblematic of Gauguin's attempt to fuse European Post-Impressionist aesthetics with the narrative traditions he observed in Oceania. His graphic representations often sought to capture a "primitive" vitality he believed was lost in industrialized Western society.

Classified firmly as a unique Print, this example of Gauguin’s mature graphic output resides in the National Gallery of Art collection. Due to its historical significance and age, high-resolution images of this work, like many other late 19th-century French masterpieces, frequently enter the public domain for research and scholarly analysis, providing invaluable insight into Gauguin's approach to spirituality and non-Western themes.