Three People, a Mask, a Fox, and a Bird, headpiece for Le sourire 1899

This headpiece for 'Le Sourire' was crafted by Paul Gauguin using woodcut. It's a world steeped in symbol, where the mask looms large. The mask, a universal motif, echoes through time, from ancient Greek theater to tribal rituals. It conceals and reveals, embodying both persona and the hidden self. Here, it suggests a dance between visibility and secrecy. Consider the bird, too, a creature often seen as a messenger between worlds, bearing a symbolism rooted in the ancient world. Like the Egyptian Ba, the bird is the soul released from the body, the breath, the expression of our inner selves. These motifs are not mere decorations; they stir our collective memory, speaking to primal fears, desires, and spiritual longings. Gauguin taps into the subconscious, acknowledging the powerful forces that engage us on a deeper level. What emerges is a symbolic language that refuses linear progression, instead cyclically resurfacing, perpetually evolving across history.