The Universe is Created c. 1894

Editor: This is "The Universe is Created" by Paul Gauguin, made around 1894. It's a woodcut print, and the first thing that strikes me is how dark and mysterious it feels. The figures are almost hidden within the darkness. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The darkness itself is incredibly telling. It represents the primordial void, the unformed chaos from which everything emerges. Notice how the figures aren't distinct individuals but rather archetypal forms, recalling a collective, ancestral past. Look at the figure to the bottom left – could it be Eve? What does the red shape in front of it signify to you? Editor: It looks a little like a... fish, maybe? With some sort of patterned box on top? I don't understand. Curator: The fish, a recurring motif in Gauguin's Tahitian works, represents fertility, transformation, the subconscious. It connects the earthly realm with the divine. The patterned box... consider it an offering, perhaps, or a container of knowledge, a *waka*, connecting this creation to Polynesian myth cycles. Notice the almost abstract figures swirling around it – they seem to embody spirits or deities involved in the act of creation. This evokes powerful connections between the material world, the ancestral past, and the spiritual realm. What feelings does this combination create? Editor: A sense of wonder, definitely, but also a feeling of disorientation. It's like looking into a dream, trying to decipher symbols without a key. Curator: Exactly! Gauguin invites us to confront the unknown, to delve into our own subconscious and find meaning in the echoes of ancient myths. And this, is perhaps, is the ultimate creation he portrays. Editor: It’s amazing how much symbolism he packed into one woodcut! It gives a new depth to appreciating the universe and mythology. Curator: Indeed, a fusion of worlds and symbolic insights—food for thought.