The Universe Is Created

"The Universe Is Created" is a major print created by Paul Gauguin between 1893 and 1894, shortly after his initial voyage to Tahiti. This powerful symbolic work is classified as a woodcut printed in color on wove paper, showcasing the artist’s groundbreaking approach to printmaking. Gauguin rejected the traditional precision often associated with etching and lithography, instead embracing the raw, forceful textures inherent in the woodcut technique. He often worked the woodblocks vigorously, sometimes even scoring the surface with sandpaper, achieving dark, brooding fields of color and expressive, abstract shapes.

Executed during a period when Gauguin was deeply immersed in synthesizing native Polynesian mythology with Christian themes, The Universe Is Created explores primal creation myths. The imagery fuses elements of nature and the human form, rendered in the thick, simplified lines characteristic of his Symbolist style. The composition features densely patterned fields where organic forms, including stylized tropical leaves, provide a vibrant, almost claustrophobic environment for the emerging figures. This deliberate use of natural elements underlines the essential connection between the spiritual world and the lush Tahitian landscape that inspired Gauguin’s final decades.

As one of the most significant prints from this era, the work demonstrates Gauguin's influential shift away from Impressionism toward a more powerful, direct means of expression. This impression, a celebrated example of fin-de-siècle prints, is housed within the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its foundational place in modern art history ensures that high-quality reproductions and images of these seminal woodcut prints often circulate through the public domain, providing crucial access for scholars and enthusiasts worldwide.