Paul Gauguin, Buddha from the Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints, 1898-99, Woodcut print, 11 15/16 in x 8 15/16 in (30.4 x 22.8 cm), Museum Purchase, The Class of 1947 Acquisition Fund 2017.97

Buddha from the Vollard suite is the first work by Paul Gauguin to enter the collections at the Davis. Gauguin executed this woodcut series in Tahiti between 1898 and 1899. He sent thirty sets to Ambroise Vollard in 1900 hoping the entrepreneurial art dealer would promote the prints in Paris. While traveling in the South Pacific, Gauguin was inspired by Tahitian culture and spirituality outside of the Christian tradition, which provided new motifs and subjects in his art as seen in this print. Though titled Buddha, the generalized features and pose of the seated figure could alternatively represent a Bodhisattva, a follower of the Buddha who helps others attain enlightenment. Tahiti also inspired Gauguin to create what he perceived as “naïve” and “exotic” art, both in subject matter and in materials. He experimented with printing techniques. For this woodcut, he carved the rough-hewn block in a sculptural manner; traces of a yellow pigment appear in the otherwise black print. The acquisition of a work by Gauguin not only strengthens the collections of works on paper, but also provides context for modernist work in the collections, as Gauguin had a profound influence on a variety of artists, whose work is held by the Davis, including Picasso, Munch, Matisse and Kirchner.