1894
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Universe is Created (L'Univers est créé) is a 1894 ink by Paul Gauguin, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This woodcut shows a chaotic, dreamlike scene with two shadowy figures tangled in swirling lines. One figure clutches a bird or bat-like shape, while the other seems to be sinking into a stormy, ink-black sky. Jagged waves crash around them, and a faint outline of a face looms in the darkness. The artist used bold black lines and limited colors—tan, red-brown, and red—to create a sense of movement and unease. The title, *"The Universe is Created,"* hints at a cosmic struggle, but the image feels more like a nightmare than a birth. Next, look up woodcut to see how this printing technique works.
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.
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