Watched by the Spirit of the Dead (Manao Tupapau) from the portfolio L'Estampe originale, no. VI by Paul Gauguin is a powerful lithograph created in 1894. This highly charged print demonstrates Gauguin’s ongoing fascination with the culture and spirituality of Tahiti, revisited shortly after his return to Paris following his first trip to the South Pacific. The print medium allowed the French artist to distribute his exotic and symbolic visions to a wider audience, positioning him firmly within the avant-garde movements of the period. The work was published as part of the influential L'Estampe originale portfolio, highlighting the importance of prints in late 19th-century artistic innovation.
The subject matter directly references Gauguin’s 1892 painting of the same title, depicting a frightened female figure lying prone on a bed, observed by a dark, spectral presence. Manao Tupapau, which translates to "Spirit of the Dead watching," captures a moment of intense psychological distress, drawing upon local Tahitian legends of spirits that inhabit the darkness. Gauguin utilizes the stark contrasts afforded by the lithograph technique, simplifying forms and amplifying the eerie, abstract quality of the scene. The flattened perspective and emphasis on line over volume align this piece with the Symbolist aesthetic that dominated French art circles in 1894.
In this print, Gauguin moves beyond merely documenting ethnographic details, instead focusing on the interplay between fear, belief, and the unknown. The composition emphasizes the duality of life and death, consciousness and the spiritual realm, themes central to his later career. As a classification of printmaking, this lithograph showcases Gauguin’s mastery in manipulating tone and shadow to evoke a profound emotional response. This significant work is housed in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it serves as a critical example of Gauguin's contribution to modern printmaking.
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