Human Miseries, from the Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints 1898 - 1899

Paul Gauguin created *Human Miseries* as a wood-block print. The work has a stark contrast between the darkness of the ink and the pale paper. The composition is divided between a figure sitting to the right and another, veiled, shrouded figure to the left. Both appear under a canopy of leaves. Gauguin destabilizes traditional perspective and form. Note how his use of black and white flattens the figures, integrating them into the broader pattern of the composition. The marks of the wood-block are evident, disrupting any illusion of smooth, naturalistic representation. The forms are simplified, and the texture of the wood adds a tactile quality to the visual experience. This print can be viewed through a semiotic lens as Gauguin uses the woodblock medium not merely for its aesthetic qualities, but also as a signifier of a raw, unmediated expression. The rough carving and stark contrasts communicate a sense of primal emotion, untamed by the conventions of academic art. This aesthetic choice challenges the established values of Western art.