Te Atua (The Gods) Small Plate [recto]

Te Atua (The Gods) Small Plate [recto] is a significant print created by Paul Gauguin in 1895. This powerful example of French graphic art from the period 1876 to 1900 is executed as a woodcut in black ink. The artist utilized the technique of printing on very thin Japan paper, which was subsequently mounted face down, a method that emphasizes the texture and stark contrasts inherent to the wood grain. This unconventional approach allowed Gauguin to move beyond the technical refinements of traditional European printmaking toward a more direct and expressive form.

The work forms part of a major series where Gauguin synthesized local Polynesian mythology with his own spiritual and aesthetic concerns following his initial journey to Tahiti. Rather than attempting literal representation, this piece uses highly symbolic and simplified forms to convey the mysteries of creation and belief hinted at by the title. Gauguin heavily favored the woodcut medium during his final years, appreciating its raw directness and suitability for depicting the primal energy he sought in non-Western cultures. The stark composition, utilizing dense black areas offset by passages of aggressive negative space, is typical of the experimental approach the artist applied to his graphic production.

While Gauguin’s paintings from this era are internationally recognized, his extensive output of prints and illustrated books profoundly influenced subsequent generations of graphic artists, particularly those involved in Symbolism and Expressionism. This specific impression of Te Atua (The Gods) Small Plate [recto] is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Given its cultural importance and classification within the museum's public domain holdings, high-quality reference images of this seminal print are widely accessible for scholarship and appreciation.