Title Page for "Le Sourire" (Titre du Sourire)

Title Page for "Le Sourire" (Titre du Sourire) is a significant Print created in 1899, primarily designed by Paul Gauguin and executed potentially in collaboration with Pola Gauguin and Christian Cato. This potent late 19th-century French work, realized as a woodcut on delicate China paper, was conceived as the title page for the Parisian satirical and artistic journal, Le Sourire (The Smile). The period spanning 1876 to 1900 marked a crucial transition in graphic arts, where artists like Gauguin increasingly utilized printmaking mediums to disseminate radical aesthetic philosophies rooted in Symbolism and Primitivism.

The aesthetic approach of this piece strongly demonstrates Paul Gauguin’s characteristic mastery of the woodcut technique. The design is dominated by stark contrasts and simplified, bold forms, translating the visual language Gauguin developed in Tahiti into a readily reproducible format. While the collaboration with Pola Gauguin and Cato indicates a shared production effort, the stylistic foundation remains squarely within Gauguin’s personal vision. This type of graphic work was essential for circulating new artistic ideas, allowing the journal to distribute significant artistic prints to a wider audience than traditional oil paintings could reach.

This important example of French graphic art is preserved in the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. The work offers valuable insight into how the artists adapted traditional carving techniques for modern commercial publication needs. The survival of the woodcut impression on China paper testifies to the high quality sought in these limited-edition productions. Due to its historical significance and age, this artwork is frequently classified within the public domain, making high-resolution reproductions of the print widely accessible for scholarly and public viewing.