Artwork Page for Head of a Tahitian Woman

Details / Information for Head of a Tahitian Woman

Head of a Tahitian Woman

1891

Paul Gauguin

(French, 1848–1903)
Culture
France, 19th century
Medium
graphite with stumping and graphite wash on parchment
Support
Imitation vellum
Measurements
Sheet: 30.5 x 24.4 cm (12 x 9 5/8 in.)
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams Collection 1949.439
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
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Did You Know?

In his writings, Gauguin often referred to his drawings as "documents"—records of motifs and ideas he could use later.

Description

This drawing belongs to a group of highly finished portrait drawings of Tahitians made by Paul Gauguin shortly after his arrival in the South Seas. While getting used to this new place, Gauguin initially avoided painting, preferring first to familiarize himself with the landscape and people through observation and drawing. The meticulous quality of this graphite study suggests that it was made from life. The woman’s noble face and enigmatic expression allude to the spirituality and melancholy that Gauguin sought to conjure in his Polynesian work.
A graphite portrait depicts a woman's head with a light outline of her upper torso. She has long dark hair, with one side tucked behind her ear.

Head of a Tahitian Woman

1891

Paul Gauguin

(French, 1848–1903)
France, 19th century

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