Title Page for "Le Sourire" (Titre du Sourire) 1899 - 1900

This woodcut, created by Paul Gauguin between 1899 and 1900, is the title page for his woodblock print series "Le Sourire." It depicts a Tahitian woman seated in the center, with two other women standing on either side. The figures are rendered in a simplified, stylized manner characteristic of Gauguin's work, which often drew inspiration from Polynesian culture. The title page exemplifies Gauguin's fascination with the exotic and his rejection of European artistic traditions. The bold, graphic lines and flattened forms of the figures contribute to the overall sense of primitivism and the artist's exploration of the relationship between form and color. This artwork, a part of a larger series, showcases Gauguin's innovative approach to printmaking and his interest in depicting the beauty and mystery of Polynesian life.