Change of Residence, from the Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints 1899

'Change of Residence' is a woodblock print made by Paul Gauguin, probably in the 1890s, during his time in Tahiti. Though seemingly simple, the process of woodblock printing is actually quite laborious. Gauguin would have used gouges to carve his design into a block of wood, and then applied ink to the surface, finally pressing paper against the block to transfer the image. The stark contrast between light and dark and the rugged texture come directly from this process of carving and printing. The imagery evokes a sense of exoticism and displacement: figures from Tahitian life alongside the word "Tahiti", and a man riding a horse, perhaps an outsider arriving or departing. Woodblock prints like this one were made in multiples, which meant they could be distributed widely and sold at relatively low prices. This allowed Gauguin to disseminate his vision of Tahitian life to a broad audience, while also earning a living. Ultimately, Gauguin’s prints challenge traditional notions of fine art by embracing both the aesthetic and the accessibility of the craft tradition.