Spirit of the Dead Watching (Manao Tupapau), from Fragrance (Noa Noa)
Original title: Spirit of the Dead Watching (Manao Tupapau), from Fragrance (Noa Noa)
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike Gauguin's other Tahitian prints, "Manao Tupapau (The Spirit of the Dead Watching)" pits a sleeping woman against a watchful presence. This woodcut, made in 1893–94, belongs to the Noa Noa series, which grew out of his first trip to Tahiti.
Description
The arrangement is deliberately lopsided: a reclining figure occupies the foreground, while a second, ghostly form rises close to her head. Wooden sticks and other structures hem in the action. Everything stays monochrome, yet hard shadows and strong contrasts—typical of woodcut—break up the sheet. Light falls from above, sharpening the contours of figures and surroundings.
Context
After returning from Tahiti, Gauguin produced this print in Paris in 1893–94 as part of his illustrated travel narrative Noa Noa. It stemmed from an experience he recorded: his young Tahitian companion Tehura lay terrified of spirits while he watched over her. This sheet belonged to a group of about ten prints, pulled in small numbers.
Impact
The coarse, forceful lines and stark oppositions of light and dark create an eerie, spirit-ridden mood. Because forms are stripped to essentials and look almost primeval, the mystical tone of the subject deepens.
Technique
The woodcut was printed on china paper; the block measures 20.5 x 35.6 cm. Gauguin cut directly and emphatically, so the grain of the wood remains visible and each impression takes on its own distinctive texture.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)