Paul Gauguin, Spirit of the Dead (Manaò Tupapaú), Gauguin, 1946

Description

Woodcut on vélin Utopian paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good Condition. Notes: From the folio, Gauguin, A portfolio of … more Woodcut on vélin Utopian paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good Condition. Notes: From the folio, Gauguin, A portfolio of 12 color woodblocks, Paul Gauguin, French, 1848-1903 from the collection of the Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston, 1946. Rendered by Albert Carman (1899-1949); published the Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston and The Studio Publications, Inc., New York and London; printed by Holme Press Inc., New York, in an edition of MMMD. Excerpted from the folio, Paul Gauguin and Emil Bernard at Pont-Aven, Brittany, in 1888, each made a bas-relief, wooden panel to decorate a piece of furniture for a friend. In order to keep a record of their designs, a few inked impressions were made on paper. The illustration at left is a reproduction of a print which is possibly one of the above mentioned. It is further possible that this experiment later gave Gauguin the idea of making woodcuts. Just as his work in painting expressed a revolt against the overemphasis on factual representation of the nineteenth century in favor of decorative pattern and color, so also his woodcuts leaned strongly to the same side of the balance. Ten of the cuts reproduced (all excepting Soyez Amoureuses and Changement de Residence), which constitute the whole of his best known series, were made at Pont-Aven beginning in the fall of 1894, after Gauguin's return from his first trip to Tahiti and after he broke his ankle. They were at first roughly cut with a common carpenter's gouge, and the flat surfaces sandpapered and engraved with a sharp in-strument, perhaps an engraver's burin. A few trial proofs were printed in black ink only. Then the hollows were deepened with a woodcutter's gouge and highlights were added. An edition of thirty to fifty impressions of each subject, with the addition of color blocks (one, two or three), was made by Louis Roy, a painter friend of Gauguin's. The use of the added blocks was doubtless sanctioned by Gauguin, but by which man they were made, by him or by Roy, is questionable in my mind and in that of Mr. Henry
P. Rossiter, Curator of Prints at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The fact that in all the later two-color woodcuts made by Gauguin during his second and final visit to Tahiti (2895-1903) both blocks have engraving on the flat surfaces would in some measure substantiate the doubt, hitherto unmentioned by any commentator. The two very beautiful remaining reproductions in the portfolio are examples of the later work, which illustrate my point. —W. G. Russell Allen. Rendered by Albert Carman; published by American Studio Books
New York and London.

PAUL GAUGUIN (1848-1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements. He was also an influential practitioner of wood engraving and woodcuts as art forms. While only moderately successful during his lifetime, Gauguin has since been recognized for his experimental use of color and Synthetist style that were distinct from Impressionism. Gauguin was born in Paris in 1848, amidst the tumult of Europe's revolutionary year. In 1850, Gauguin's family settled in Peru, where he experienced a privileged childhood that left a lasting impression on him. Later, financial struggles led them back to France, where Gauguin received formal education. Initially working as a stockbroker, Gauguin started painting in his spare time, his interest in art kindled by visits to galleries and exhibitions. The financial crisis of 1882 significantly impacted his brokerage career, prompting a full-time shift to painting. Gauguin's art education was largely self-taught and informal, shaped significantly by his associations with other artists rather than academic training. His entry into the art world was facilitated by his acquaintance with Camille Pissarro, a leading Impressionist. Pissarro took on a mentor role for Gauguin, introducing him to other Impressionist artists and techniques.
He exhibited with the Impressionists in the early 1880s, but soon began developing his distinct style, characterized by a bolder use of color and less traditional subject matter. His work in Brittany and Martinique showcased his inclination towards depicting native life and landscapes. By the 1890s, Gauguin's art took a significant turn during his time in Tahiti, then a French colony, where he sought a refuge from the Western civilization, driven by the colonialist tropes of exoticism prevalent at the time. During that time, he controversially married three adolescent Tahitian girls with whom he later fathered children. Gauguin's later years in Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands were marked by health issues and financial struggles. His paintings from that period, characterized by vivid colors and Symbolist themes, would prove highly successful among the European viewers for their exploration of the relationships between people, nature, and the spiritual world. Gauguin's art became popular after his death, partially from the efforts of dealer Ambroise Vollard, who organized exhibitions of his work late in his career and assisted in organizing two important posthumous exhibitions in Paris. His work was influential on the French avant-garde and many modern artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, and he is well known for his relationship with Vincent and Theo van Gogh. less