Te Po (The Long Night)
1894
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1894
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Te Po (The Long Night) is a 1894 ink by Paul Gauguin, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows a shadowy figure under a dark sky, her long arms reaching up. The woman wears a red skirt and a white top, standing against a deep purple night. The shapes feel flat and bold, like a silhouette cut from paper. Gauguin made this after leaving France for Tahiti. He used woodcuts to mimic traditional Polynesian carvings. The title, "Te Po," means night in Tahitian. It looks like a quiet moment turned into art. See it at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
