Portrait of Tehamana - Paul Gauguin

Gift of David Adler and his friends

"Portrait of Tehamana" by Paul Gauguin (1891/93) Charcoal and wetted charcoal, with stumping and erasing, on cream wove paper, selectively fixedr.

Commentary

"Portrait of Tehamana" by Paul Gauguin (1891/93) 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. T hemes 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. 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 (Charcoal and wetted charcoal, with stumping and erasing, on cream wove paper, selectively fixedr) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (41.3 × 32.5 cm (16 5/16 × 12 13/16 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/190666

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