Eve
1898
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1898
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This painting shows Eve with her hand covering herself. Behind her floats a hooded head and a rat. The scene mixes Christian and Polynesian symbols. Gauguin used woodcut prints instead of paint. He paired Eve’s shame with Polynesian spirits like the *tupapau*, a ghostly figure. The rat represents a shadow of death. See how this blends two very different cultures. Look up Paul Gauguin (French, 1848–1903) for more.
![Two Marquesans [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/916b716ab0d6c759/thumb.webp)
