Women, Animals and Foliage
Paul Gauguin carved this striking scene during his self-imposed exile in Tahiti, desperate to escape European civilization and find a 'primitive' paradise. The title translates to 'Women, Animals, and Foliage,' and true to form, it’s a mystical mashup of stylized figures and organic shapes floating in a dreamlike space. The rough, jagged black ink and stark white spaces show off the woodcut technique he mastered when he was too broke to buy canvas. It’s a perfect example of Symbolism, where the mood and mystery matter way more than realistic details.
- Technique
- Woodcut