Two Women Chattering, headpiece for Le Sourire

"Two Women Chattering, headpiece for Le Sourire," created by Paul Gauguin (French, 1848-1903) in 1900, is a masterful example of the wood-block print medium. Executed in black ink on thin ivory laid Japanese paper, this work demonstrates Gauguin's deep engagement with graphic arts late in his career. This particular impression, now housed in the prestigious collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, served as a header illustration for the short-lived satirical journal Le Sourire (The Smile), published during the artist’s final years in Tahiti.

While much of Gauguin’s fame rests on his paintings of Polynesian life, his output of prints from this era shows a renewed interest in bold simplification and textural depth. The technique utilized in this piece, combining the raw power of the woodcut with the delicate surface of Japanese paper, reflects the Post-Impressionist tendency in France to seek inspiration outside established Western traditions. The composition features two figures engaged in animated conversation, rendered with the heavy outlines and flattened forms characteristic of Gauguin’s mature Symbolist style.

This small but significant graphic work highlights Gauguin's persistent experimentation with print media as a means of public dissemination, even while geographically isolated. His commitment to wood-block prints demonstrates the artist’s influential role in reviving the medium around the turn of the century. As a key example of fin-de-siècle prints, this work contributes significantly to understanding the graphic evolution of modern art.