Manao Tupapau (She is Haunted by a Spirit)

Art Historical Context

**Manao Tupapau (She is Haunted by a Spirit)** is a captivating color woodcut created by Paul Gauguin 1893 and 1894, during his transformative second stay in Tahiti.uguin, a leading Post-Impressionist and pioneer of Primitivism, sought escape from European civilization in Polynesia, drawing inspiration from Tahitian myths, landscapes, and daily life. The title, translating to "She is Haunted by a Spirit in Tahitian, evokes sense of mystery and the supernatural, likely depicting a young woman—possibly Gauguin's companion Tehura—reclining nude under the gaze of a protective lizard spirit, a symbol of guardianship in Polynesian lore. This intimate print measures just 20.4 x 35.5 cm on delicate Japan paper, highlighting Gauguin's innovative use of woodcut technique. Working in brown and black inks, he carved and hand-printed the blocks himself, blending bold contours and flat color areas reminiscent of Japanese ukiyo-e prints. This medium was revolutionary for Western artists, allowing Gauguin to achieve a raw, expressive quality that mirrored his fascination with "primitive" art forms. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Prints department through the Patrons' Permanent Fund, *Manao Tupapau* exemplifies Gauguin's fusion of exoticism and spirituality, influencing modern art's embrace of non-Western motifs. Visitors will appreciate its dreamlike intensity, a window into the artist's quest for an idealized, otherworldly paradise. (198 words)

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 ...