JEAN-GABRIEL DOMERGUE (1889–1962) A group of four illustrations for The Marriage of Loti 1936

signed in the plate lithograph and watercolour on paper 15.7 × 10.5 cm (each) executed circa 1936 This illustration was created for the 1936 illustrated edition of The Marriage of Loti by Pierre Loti, originally published in 1878 under the title Rarahu. The novel recounts Loti’s stay in Tahiti and his relationship with a young Tahitian girl named Rarahu while stationed in Papeete. The story follows a naval officer, Harry Grant (a literary stand-in for Loti), who adopts the rhythms of Tahitian life and enters into a temporary 'marriage' with the young girl. Their intense but short-lived romance ends tragically when the officer departs the island, leaving Rarahu heartbroken. The narrative is a notable example of nineteenth-century romantic exoticism, offering evocative descriptions of Polynesian landscapes and culture while reflecting the complex encounter between European visitors and indigenous society during the period of French colonial expansion.