Eve ['The Nightmare'] (recto); Eve ['The Nightmare'] (verso) Gm-30635601

Paul Gauguin (French, 1848–1903) If my work must be limited to watercolor, pastel, or anything else all the spirit goes out of it ... I have at this moment a series of experimental drawings that I'm fairly pleased with. I'm sending you a small specimen; it's like an impression and yet it isn't. Thick ink replaces pencil, that's all...
--Paul Gauguin

Near the end of his life in isolated French Polynesia, Gauguin invented his own technique to produce this unique, double-sided image. Both sides depict a young Tahitian woman as Eve in the Garden of Eden, surrounded by the Devil as a snake, a dark figure on horseback, and a fallen Adam. One side of the drawing consists of fine blue and black lines. Those markings are not only flipped or mirrored on the other side, but appear thicker and darker amid murky patches of black and ocher ink. This more colorful and detailed side was probably what Gauguin intended viewers to see.

On its surface, Gauguin's experimental drawing looks primitive and casually made. However, its rough appearance belies a very sophisticated work, with nuanced mark-making and carefully aligned applications of color. The closest analogy to Gauguin's process might be the act of writing or drawing on carbon paper, which transfers marks to underlying pages.

Gauguin coated a piece of paper with printer's ink. He placed another sheet of paper--what was to become this drawing--on top of it and drew the initial composition with black pencil. Then he blocked-in shading with ocher ink. Third, he strengthened the outlines with blue crayon. The pressure applied by the drawing instruments transferred ink to the underside of the sketched paper. For these successive "printings," Gauguin had to change out the original sheet of inked paper and allow the drawing to dry, at least partially, between passes of ink. Last, he took a brush dipped in solvent and blended some areas of the drawing, most notably behind the figure of Eve.

Gauguin's long-term obsession with the biblical story of "the fall of man" enabled him to explore dual themes such as good and evil in a single work. As with many of his images, the way that Gauguin used symbols--their context and juxtaposition--complicate interpretation. For example, although Eve gazes directly at the viewer, it is difficult to tell whether her expression is confident or baleful. Her awkward gestures, one hand holding a cloth to her genitals and the other against her cheek, perhaps indicate shameful awareness of her sinful actions.

This particular Eve and the head of a hooded figure behind her originate from a drawing Gauguin made at least eight years earlier. He repeatedly incorporated these exact motifs into subsequent paintings and woodcuts. In this case also, the horse behind Eve may be inspired by a frieze design from the Parthenon, which Gauguin had in his collection of source materials brought from Europe. The hooded rider incorporates some of Gauguin's own features, and may also symbolize Death.

We make each of our prints one at a time—just for you.

Our Giclée Prints are printed here in Switzerland, one at a time, on heavy matte German art paper using the finest 12-color Canon archival inks. Some images are panoramic or tall and narrow—please select the 18" x 36" format for these.

Our Premium Museum Frame in Black is custom-made in Lugano, Switzerland, using natural wood moulding in a matte black satin finish. Each includes thick, hand-cut white mat boards and Plexiglass glazing. We tailor and print each image to fit its specific ratio and dimensions within our custom-made frames. The hand-cut mats are extra thick. Each bespoke museum frame ships in a custom box. Rush shipping is available for projects with tight deadlines—this is our specialty, and you will not be disappointed.

Our Antiqued Museum Frame in Gold is a high-quality frame made of solid wood, featuring traditional 19th-century cast plaster moulded details and closed corners. These frames are works of art in themselves, each with a unique patina. The hand-rubbed corners and gold finish evoke the elegance of times past. Your selected image is printed on German art paper with archival inks and mounted to quality art board within the frame. Plexiglass is added for print protection and the back is covered with Kraft paper and a hanger is supplied ready to hang..

Our Stretched Canvas prints are hand-stretched over 1.25" thick pine bars and printed with archival inks on a cotton-poly matte finish canvas. These are best-in-industry Swiss-quality canvases, hand-coated for UV protection.

Wall Murals are printed on a matte-finish, self-adhesive poly/fabric material that mounts easily and is ideal for smooth wall surfaces.

Our Note Cards are amazing—each is printed individually on 100% cotton art paper, comes with a kraft envelope, and is individually sleeved. (Image is scaled to fit the format.)

All of our images are digitized from the original negative or print and printed by our master printer to museum standards.

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Artwork in this collection is from The J. Paul Getty Museum. Reproduction rights are reserved by the copyright owner and used under license by Archivea GmbH.