Artwork
Parau No Te Varau Ino (left); Tahitian Legend (right)
Parau No Te Varau Ino (left); Tahitian Legend (right) is an ink drawing by the Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin. It dates from 1892 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The paired drawings *Parau No Te Varau Ino* and *Tahitian Legend*, created circa 1892, showcase Paul Gauguin's experimentation with various mediums and techniques on J. Whatman paper.
Subject & Meaning
The two scenes depict distinct subjects: a standing woman on the left and a narrative scene involving a man and a woman on the right, drawing from local Tahitian legends and mythology.
Technique & Style
Gauguin employed a range of techniques, including pen and brown ink, gray wash, and black chalk, to achieve varied textures and expressive forms, characteristic of his Synthetist style and engagement with Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements.
Context
Created during Gauguin's time in Tahiti, these drawings reflect his fascination with local subjects and legends, which became a central theme in his work.
Artist & collection
Artist
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (; French: ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements.
Unknown subject (Let Him look up into the Heaven and laugh in the bright air)
Te Arii Vahine (Lady of Royal Blood)
Clio
Drawing from the Ionides Album
Women, Animals and Foliage (Femmes, animaux et feuillages)
Eve
Women, Animals and Foliage (Femmes, animaux et feuillages)
Noa Noa: Manao Yupapau ( Watched by the Spirts of the Dead)
Noa Noa: Women at the River (Auti Te Pape)
Noa Noa: Noa Noa (Fragrant Scent)