A Horse and Birds, headpiece for Le sourire

Art Historical Context

In 1899, Paul Gauguin, the pioneering Post-Impressionist known for his depictions of Tahitian life and rejection of Western conventions, created *A Horse and Birds* as a headpiece for *Le sourire (The Smile). This woodcut captures the artist's fascination with exotic, dreamlike motifs—a majestic horse amid fluttering birds—reflecting his time in Tahiti, where he sought inspiration from Polynesian culture and nature's raw vitality. Produced during Gauguin's later years (he lived 1848–1903), it exemplifies his experimental printmaking phase, bridging European modernism with non-Western aesthetics. Crafted as a wood-block print in bold black ink on delicate, thin ivory laid Japanese paper, the work measures just 14.1 × 22.1 cm, intimate in scale yet powerful in execution. Gauguin carved the block himself, embracing a deliberately rough, primitive style influenced by Japanese ukiyo-e prints and folk art. This technique allowed stark contrasts and expressive lines, emphasizing form over fine detail—a radical departure from polished European engraving traditions. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, this piece highlights Gauguin's lasting impact on modern art, foreshadowing Expressionism and the Fauves. Visitors will appreciate its tactile simplicity, evoking the artist's quest for an unadulterated, symbolic vision of the world.

About the Artist

Paul Gauguin · 1848–1903

Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) was a French Post-Impressionist painter whose bold experiments with color, form, and subject matter made him one of the most influential figures in the transition from 19th-century art to modernism. His rejection of European civilization for the perceived authenticity of 'primitive' cultures established an archetype of artistic exile that continues to resonate. Gauguin's ...