Oviri (The Savage) [recto]

About this work

This image shows a rough, textured print of a naked person sitting in a tangled forest. The figure has a strange, almost mask-like face with big eyes and an open mouth. Behind them, thick vines and gnarled trees fill the background, all in brown tones. The print looks like it was made by carving into wood—notice how the lines are sharp but uneven, like the artist pressed ink into grooves. Gauguin made this while traveling to Tahiti, where he was fascinated by local culture. Look up woodcut to see how this printing method works.