Mahna no varua ino (The Devil Speaks), from the Noa Noa Suite - Paul Gauguin

Gift of Marjorie Kreilick McNab

"Mahna no varua ino (The Devil Speaks), from the Noa Noa Suite" by Paul Gauguin (1894) Wood-block print in black ink, with brush and pale orange wash, over stenciled yellow ink and a red ink tone block, on cream wove paper (an imitation Japanese vellum).

Commentary

"Mahna no varua ino (The Devil Speaks), from the Noa Noa Suite" by Paul Gauguin (1894) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of the expressive work. Theme s to notice include prints and drawing. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. Paul Gauguin is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Paul Gauguin (French, 1848-1903) printed in collaboration Louis Roy (French, 1862-1907). The work is cataloged within a France cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as prints and drawing, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Wood-block print in black ink, with brush and pale orange wash, over stenciled yellow ink and a red ink tone block, on cream wove paper (an imitation Japanese vellum)) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image: 20.5 × 35.5 cm (8 1/8 × 14 in.); Sheet: 25.1 × 39.8 cm (9 15/16 × 15 11/16 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include prints and drawing. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/198917

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data