Basilio, Jeune Garcon de Saipan Tenat Des Coquillages. Marianes 1934

Paul Jacoulet's woodblock print shows a young man from Saipan holding seashells. Imagine the artist, carefully carving each block, layering color upon color. There’s something so tender in the way this young man is depicted – a slight smile, a gentle gaze. What's he thinking? Is he listening to the ocean in those shells? I bet Jacoulet was intrigued by the boy's relationship to the sea, to nature. The shells become like extensions of his ears. I think of other artists like Gauguin who were drawn to the Pacific islands and their peoples. There’s a similar interest in the beauty and simplicity of island life, but Jacoulet brings his own unique perspective. It’s a reminder that artists are always looking, learning, and building upon what came before, turning art into this amazing, ongoing conversation.