Two Maoris

Two Maoris by Paul Gauguin French, 1848-1903, is a significant print created between 1896 and 1897. This complex work utilizes the wood-block medium, printed twice using ocher and black ink to achieve layered tonal depth. Gauguin further enriched the composition by adding red-brown watercolor directly onto the brown laid Japanese paper, treating the prints not merely as reproductions but as unique, individualized works of art.

Created during the artist’s second and final period in Tahiti, this piece reflects Gauguin’s continued quest to capture the spirit of indigenous Polynesian life. The composition features two frontal figures, defined by the simplified forms and bold, synthetic contours characteristic of the Symbolist movement he helped pioneer. His unconventional application of watercolor on the finished impression exemplifies his radical approach to printmaking; by manually reworking the surface, Gauguin blurred the line between graphic art and painting, diverging starkly from the academic traditions of France.

This influential period of production, focusing intensely on woodcuts, allowed Gauguin to achieve a raw, expressive energy that complimented his subject matter. The layered inks and the use of porous, brown laid Japanese paper enhance the earthy palette of ocher and black tones, underscoring the work’s texture. This important piece resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As with many works by the artist, digital records of these highly experimental prints are frequently made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring the broad study of Gauguin’s profound impact on modern art.