Provenance
Sold at the public auction of the artist’s belongings following his death, Papeete, Tahiti, Sept. 2, 1903, lot 125, probably to Mr. Pietri, Papeete. Jacques Doucet (1853–1929), Paris; sold, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, June 20, 1941, lot 17bis. Henri M. Petiet (French, 1894–1980), Paris, by Jan. 25, 1956; by descent to the Petiet family, 1980; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, Oct. 2015.
Accession Number
137123
Medium
Watercolor, with traces of black crayon and graphite, on tapa, partially laid down on cream wove paper
Dimensions
Closed: 32.8 × 26.5 cm (12 15/16 × 10 7/16 in.); Open: 32.8 × 53 cm (12 15/16 × 20 7/8 in.)
Classification
gouache
Credit Line
Gift of Henri M. Petiet
Background & Context
Background Story
Paul Gauguin's Chez les Maories: Sauvageries (1893) is from his book project about experiences in Tahiti and the Pacific. The title suggests a Western view of Maori culture as savage, a perspective Gauguin both shared and subverted. This work documents Gauguin's engagement with broader Pacific culture.
Cultural Impact
Gauguin's writings and illustrations about the Pacific islands document European encounters with Oceanic culture.
Why It Matters
This illustration for Gauguin's book reflects his complex engagement with Pacific culture.
