Te Po (The Long Night)

Te Po (The Long Night) by Paul Gauguin, executed between 1894 and 1895, is a significant example of the artist's intensive exploration of non-Western spiritual and mythological themes through the medium of printmaking. This particular impression is a woodcut rendered in bistre ink on cream paper. Gauguin utilized the stark, unforgiving contrasts inherent in the woodcut technique to convey the mystery and spiritual depth of the subject matter, differentiating these graphic works sharply from the highly chromatic Post-Impressionist canvases he produced concurrently.

This work falls squarely within the French artistic period of 1876 to 1900, a time characterized by a strong move toward Symbolism and a rejection of naturalistic representation. Gauguin created this print shortly after his first extended stay in Tahiti, where he sought an idealized primitive culture far removed from European industrialization. The title, Te Po, references the Tahitian concept of primeval darkness, the ancestral state of night before the creation of the world. This focus on elemental origins and creation myths reflects the artist's persistent effort to merge his European artistic sensibility with the indigenous narratives he encountered.

Unlike his earlier experiments with relief printing, Gauguin’s approach to the woodcut here is deliberately crude and powerful, intentionally echoing the rawness often found in primitive art. The heavy reliance on shadow and line emphasizes form, allowing the composition to evoke dense, primordial space. The classification of the piece as a print speaks to the increasing importance of reproducible media in the late nineteenth century, enabling a wider distribution of Gauguin’s radical imagery.

This historically important piece of French graphic art, a key component in the artist's print oeuvre, currently resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. The meticulous preservation of the work ensures that researchers and the public can continue to study Gauguin’s profound engagement with Polynesian culture and his pivotal role in shaping modern art.