M.,K.,J., 19 I. state. Guérin 32. 20,2:31,8 cm (instead of 35,6 cm). Verso: a fragmentary impression of "Les Laveuses". M.,K.,J. 10.

In August 1893, Gauguin returned from Tahiti for his last visit to Europe. He stayed barely eighteen months before embarking for Tahiti again in February 1895. In September Gauguin had already started, with the help of Charles Morice, to write a book about his life adventures and experiences in Tahiti. As illustration for the deluxe edition of NOA NOA Gauguin started to work on 10 woodcuts for the 10 chapters, one title page and nine illustrations. For these woodcuts, Gauguin used planks which were composed of a number of small sections of hard and finely grained boxwood, cut across the grain in the traditional manner of wood engraving. He then simply engraved his lines into the surface with a sharp point or burin, thus they are in fact white line woodcuts. In addition to the fine line work, Gauguin gouged out certain areas in varying depths. In April 1894 all 10 woodcuts were completed and in a letter from Paris on May 2nd 1894, Gauguin, wrote to Charles Morice: "Je viens de terminer mon travail (gravure) sur Noa Noa je crois que celˆ contribuera beaucoup au succès du livre. Il faut donc que le livre soit fait et au plus tôt."

Very interesting trial proof of the first state before the monogram and the title, on lemon yellow "Canari" paper. Mongan, Kornfeld and Joachim state only two impressions of this state, one of them printed on "Canari" paper. The impression one gets from looking at the subject is a rather mystical one and the print seems experimental to the extreme. A very typical subject for Gauguin though it is, printed on the verso of a zincography impression of "Les Laveuses" confirms the idea of a first working impression of the artist. On the right, about 4 cm of the subject missing. One of three copies; extremely rare.