Te atua (The God), from the Noa Noa Suite - Paul Gauguin

Print Sales Miscellaneous Fund

"Te atua (The God), from the Noa Noa Suite" by Paul Gauguin (1894) Wood-block print in black ink, over a stenciled dark-red-ink tone block, on cream wove paper (an imitation Japanese vellum).

Commentary

"Te atua (The God), from the Noa Noa Suite" by Paul Gauguin (1894) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Themes to notice include Post-Impressionism, woodcut. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Draw ings collection. Paul Gauguin is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Paul Gauguin (French, 1848-1903) printed in collaboration with Louis Roy (French, 1862-1907). The work is cataloged within a France cultural context. It is associated with the Post-Impressionism period. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as woodcut, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Wood-block print in black ink, over a stenciled dark-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: 20.6 × 35.7 cm (8 1/8 × 14 1/16 in.); Sheet: 24.7 × 39.7 cm (9 3/4 × 15 11/16 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include Post-Impressionism, woodcut. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/47171

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