Cleveland Museum of Art

Nave Nave Fenua (Fragrant Isle)

Paul Gauguin

Date

1893–94

Medium

color woodcut

Culture

France, 19th century

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

In 1891 Paul Gauguin traveled to Tahiti, seeking a more authentic style of art making than the conservatism he rejected in Western culture. After returning to Paris in 1893, he began working on Noa Noa, an illustrated book that explained and illustrated his experiences abroad. Although the project was never completed, this print is one of its illustrations. Gauguin depicted a lush landscape by chiseling roughly into a woodblock, a technique meant to suggest relief sculpture he viewed in Tahiti. Paul Gauguin printed the woodblocks for Noa Noa using a variety of inks and papers.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.