Eve 1898 - 1899

Paul Gauguin made this woodcut called Eve. Gauguin was a complicated character, one who sought an escape from the confines of European society in the late 19th century. In his quest for the “primitive,” he traveled to Tahiti, seeking a world untouched by Western conventions. This print presents us with Gauguin’s vision of Eve. But she is not the Eve of the Bible. Instead, Gauguin reimagines her as a Tahitian woman. By setting the biblical story in the South Pacific, he intertwines the Judeo-Christian narrative with his perception of Tahitian identity, and in the process reveals his colonial mindset. As Gauguin himself stated, "I am going away in order to learn to know myself and to do my duty." What do you make of his “duty” and his attempt to represent a culture not his own? This image is less about an accurate portrayal and more about Gauguin's fantasy, reflecting both his desires and the power dynamics inherent in cross-cultural representation.