Quel est le tableau le plus célèbre de Paul Gauguin ?

D'où venons-nous ? Que sommes-nous ? Où allons-nous ? est souvent considéré comme son testament pictural. La Vision après le sermon, Le Christ jaune, Manao tupapau, Ia Orana Maria et Quand te maries-tu ? comptent aussi parmi ses images les plus célèbres.

Pourquoi La Vision après le sermon est-elle si importante ?

Parce qu'elle rompt avec la description impressionniste. Le sol rouge, les contours et la séparation entre femmes bretonnes et scène biblique montrent une peinture mentale, synthétique et symbolique.

Qu'est-ce que le synthétisme chez Gauguin ?

Le synthétisme simplifie les formes, renforce les contours et utilise la couleur pour exprimer une idée ou une émotion plutôt que pour seulement reproduire la lumière observée.

Pourquoi faut-il parler du contexte colonial ?

Parce que les images tahitiennes ont été produites dans une colonie française et traduisent souvent le regard, les fantasmes et la position de pouvoir d'un artiste européen. Cette histoire fait partie de leur lecture actuelle.

Gauguin a-t-il seulement peint Tahiti ?

Non. Il a peint Paris, Copenhague, la Bretagne, Arles, la Martinique, Tahiti et les Marquises, ainsi que de nombreux portraits, autoportraits et natures mortes.

Quel lien existe entre Gauguin et Van Gogh ?

Ils travaillent ensemble à Arles en 1888 et partagent l'ambition d'une couleur expressive. Leur cohabitation se termine mal, mais leur dialogue marque profondément l'histoire du post-impressionnisme.

Quelle reproduction de Gauguin choisir pour un intérieur ?

Pour une image immédiatement reconnaissable, choisissez Le Christ jaune, Ia Orana Maria ou Le Cheval blanc. Pour davantage de mystère, Manao tupapau, Hina Tefatou ou Nevermore donnent une présence plus sombre et symbolique.

Pourquoi les couleurs de Gauguin paraissent-elles si modernes ?

Parce qu'elles organisent directement l'espace et l'émotion. Rouge, jaune, violet ou vert ne se contentent pas de décrire le motif : ils donnent au tableau son rythme et sa logique intérieure.

D'où venons-nous ? Que sommes-nous ? Où allons-nous ? - Paul Gauguin image 1 reproduction artisanale de tableau

#1 - Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?

Top 100 - Paul Gauguin

The 100 known paintings that tell the story of Paul Gauguin

Brittany, Arles, Martinique, Tahiti and Marquesas: Gauguin simplifies shapes, loads colors with symbols and constructs an elsewhere that must be looked at with admiration, but without turning a blind eye to its context.

Paul Gauguin wanted a painting capable of speaking other than naturalism. Color takes up a lot of space; the legend of the artist too, and it sometimes deserves to be asked for his papers.

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100classified paintings

1artists represented

1888Pont-Aven changes the language

2 looksform and context together

SimplifyContours, flat areas and clear masses replace naturalistic transitions with a more direct construction.

SymbolizeColors, objects, poses and titles load the pattern of an idea without providing perfectly docile instructions.

InventBrittany, Tahiti and Marquesas become territories recomposed by memory and personal myth.

ContextualizePictorial power remains inseparable from the colonial gaze, borrowed sources and power relations.

Color creates its own world

One hundred paintings, elsewhere requires a second look

Gauguin begins in the vicinity of impressionism, then moves away from it to seek a more constructed, more synthetic and more symbolic painting. Instead of describing each transition of light, it simplifies shapes, surrounds silhouettes and gives colors a new autonomy. The Vision after the sermon summarizes this shift: red does not imitate Breton soil, it makes a mental image visible.

Gauguin simplifies shapes to give more strength to colors and symbols. The image hits quickly; its story deserves to stay a little longer than in front of a travel brochure.

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Classification in images

For "The White Horse": A horse descends towards the water under trees with blue and purple trunks, while riders appear further away; the composition leads the gaze without rigidity. For this version of "The White Horse": The scene seems observed, but its colors and proportions move it towards a mental landscape. Dated 1898, "The White Horse" is kept at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris and measures 140.5 x 92 cm. For "The White Horse" by Paul Gauguin, the painting does not only seek to seduce; it affirms a way of seeing where matter, distance and light work together. In "The White Horse" by Paul Gauguin, the painting does not only seek to seduce; it affirms a way of seeing where matter, distance and light work together. In "The White Horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The White Horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The White Horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The White Horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The White Horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The White Horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The White Horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The White Horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The White Horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The White Horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color

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Paul Gauguin

Date1902CollectionFolkwang Museum, EssenFormat150 x 109 cm

For "Barbarian Tales": Three figures occupy a dense landscape where Meyer de Haan's frontal face takes on an almost spectral intensity; the line maintains a clear decorative tension there. For this version of "Barbarian Tales": Color, memory and personal mythology give the canvas a strangeness that does not seek to be amiable. "Barbarian Tales" is dated 1902; it measures 150 x 109 cm; it is kept at the Folkwang Museum, Essen. For "Barbarian Tales" by Paul Gauguin, the painting does not only seek to seduce; it affirms a way of seeing where matter, distance and light work together. In "Barbarian Tales", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Barbarian Tales", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Barbarian Tales", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and light. In "Barbarian Tales", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Barbarian Tales", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Barbarian Tales", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Barbarian Tales", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Barbarian Tales", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Barbarian Tales", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Barbarian Tales", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way

Date1889Collectionorsay Museum, ParisFormat73 x 92 cm

The subject of "The Schuffenecker Family" is organized by sharp contrasts rather than small nuances; this decision gives the painting an immediate presence without exhausting it; color prevents the image from simply being pretty. Dated 1889, "The Schuffenecker Family" is kept at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris and measures 73 x 92 cm. For "The Schuffenecker Family" by Paul Gauguin, the composition can be read in stages: first the motif, then the masses, then the passages of light which give the painting its true tempo. In "The Schuffenecker Family", the composition is read in stages: first the motif, then the masses, then the passages of light which give the painting its true tempo. In "The Schuffenecker Family", the composition is read in stages: first the motif, then the masses, then the passages of light which give the painting its true tempo. In "The Schuffenecker Family", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The Schuffenecker Family", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The Schuffenecker Family", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The Schuffenecker Family", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The Schuffenecker Family", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to solids, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The Schuffenecker Family", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous

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III

Tahiti between observation, myth and projection

Figures, landscapes, religious stories and Tahitian titles reveal a major work whose colonial context remains fully visible.

#51

Paul Gauguin

The framing of "The King's Wife" favors the relationships of shapes and tones; realism declines, but the composition gains a very visible framework; the contrast prevents the image from being content to be pretty. "The King's Wife" is kept at the Museum of Fine Arts. For "The King's Wife" by Paul Gauguin, the strength comes less from a burst of brilliance than from a balance: enough structure to guide the eye, enough breathing to let the scene live. In "The King's Wife", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The King's Wife", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The King's Wife", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The King's Wife", each color belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The King's Wife", each color belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The King's Wife", each color belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The King's Wife", each color belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The King's Wife", each color belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The King's Wife", each color belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The King's Wife", each color

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#55

Paul Gauguin

In "Tahitian Pastorales", Gauguin retains some essential elements and charges them with intensity; simplification acts as a concentration, in no way as a lack; the motif retains a very personal presence there. Today kept at the Hermitage Museum, "Tahitian Pastorales". For "Tahitian Pastorales" by Paul Gauguin, the balance between observation and memory remains decisive; Paul Gauguin adjusts the distance to the point of maintaining presence and memory in the same surface. In "Tahitian Pastorales", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not erase. "Tahitian Pastorales", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not erase. "Tahitian Pastorales", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not erase. "Tahitian Pastorales", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not erase. "Tahitian Pastorales", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not erase. "Tahitian Pastorales", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not erase. "Tahitian Pastorales" finally shows why Gauguin influences the Nabis, the wild animals and several modern generations: the surface no longer hides its production, it makes it its subject.

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#64

Paul Gauguin

Picking Fruits, or Mangoes

In "La Pueillette des Fruits, ou Aux Mangues", the depth tightens to give more weight to the general rhythm; the surface fully assumes that it is painted; the composition retains a very personal presence. For "La Pueillette des Fruits, ou Aux Mangues" by Paul Gauguin, the painting not only seeks to seduce; it affirms a way of seeing where matter, distance and light work together. In "La Pueillette des Fruits, ou Aux Mangues", still life serves as a laboratory: unstable perspective, displaced sizes and unexpected neighborhoods prepare the freedoms that Gauguin will then apply to figures and landscapes. In "La Pueillette des Fruits, ou Aux Mangues", still life serves as a laboratory: unstable perspective, displaced sizes and unexpected neighborhoods prepare the freedoms that Gauguin will then apply to figures and landscapes. In "La Pueillette des Fruits, ou Aux Mangues", still life serves as a laboratory: unstable perspective, displaced sizes and unexpected neighborhoods prepare the freedoms that Gauguin will then apply to figures and landscapes. In "La Pueillette des Fruits, ou Aux Mangues", still life serves as a laboratory: unstable perspective, displaced sizes and unexpected neighborhoods prepare the freedoms that Gauguin will then apply to figures and landscapes. "La Pueillette des Fruits, ou Aux Mangues", still life serves as a laboratory: unstable perspective, displaced sizes and unexpected neighborhoods prepare the freedoms that Gauguin will then apply to figures and landscapes. "La Pueillette des Fruits, ou Aux Mangues", still life serves as a laboratory: unstable perspective, displaced sizes and unexpected neighborhoods prepare the freedoms that Gauguin will then apply to figures and

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#65

Paul Gauguin

Ruperupe

Date1899CollectionPushkin Museum, MoscowFormat128 x 190 cm

In "Ruperupe", the depth tightens to give more weight to the general rhythm; the surface fully assumes that it is painted; the line leads the gaze there without rigidity. "Ruperupe" is dated 1899 and kept at the Pushkin Museum, Moscow; it measures 128 x 190 cm. For "Ruperupe" by Paul Gauguin, the balance between observation and memory remains decisive; Paul Gauguin adjusts the distance until presence and memory are held in the same surface. In "Ruperupe", the balance between observation and memory remains decisive; Paul Gauguin adjusts the distance until presence and memory are held in the same surface. In "Ruperupe", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Ruperupe", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. "Ruperupe", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. "Ruperupe", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. "Ruperupe", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. "Ruperupe", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. "Ruperupe", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. "Ruperupe", the painting belongs to a trajectory

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#66

Paul Gauguin

Te Fare Amu

In "Te Fare Amu", the depth tightens to give more weight to the general rhythm; the surface fully assumes that it is painted; color leads the gaze without rigidity. For "Te Fare Amu" by Paul Gauguin, on the scale of the image, this singularity counts a lot: it avoids the interchangeable pattern effect, this great disease of too eager glances. In "Te Fare Amu", this singularity belongs a lot: it avoids the interchangeable pattern effect, this great disease of too eager glances. In "Te Fare Amu", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not erase. In "Te Fare Amu", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not erase. In "Te Fare Amu", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not erase. "Te Fare Amu", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not erase. "Te Fare Amu", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not erase. "Te Fare Amu", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not erase. "Te Fare Amu", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynes

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#67

Paul Gauguin

The big tree

In "The Big Tree", the depth tightens to give more weight to the general rhythm; the surface fully assumes that it is painted; the rhythm leads the gaze there without rigidity. For "The Big Tree" by Paul Gauguin, the balance between observation and memory remains decisive; Paul Gauguin adjusts the distance until presence and memory are held in the same surface. In "The Big Tree", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The Big Tree", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The Big Tree", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. "The big tree", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. "The big tree", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. "The big tree", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. "The big tree", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. "The big tree", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. "The big tree", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. "The big tree", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. "The big tree", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives

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#68

Paul Gauguin

Mysterious water

In "Mysterious Water", space is less described than recomposed; the gaze passes from one mass to another as in a frieze in which each interval counts; the framing leads the gaze there without rigidity. For "Mysterious Water" by Paul Gauguin, the composition is read in stages: first the motif, then the masses, then the passages of light which give the painting its true tempo. In "Mysterious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where the initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Mysterious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Mysterious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Mysterious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Mysterious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Mysterious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Mysterious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Mysterious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Mysterious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Mysterious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually

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#69

Paul Gauguin

Delicious water

"Delicious water" advances in flat areas, silhouettes and differences in proportion; the subject remains readable, but the space obeys a logic more mental than photographic; the surface leads the gaze without rigidity. In "Delicious Water", the work is kept at the National Gallery. For "Delicious Water" by Paul Gauguin, on the scale of the image, this singularity counts a lot: it avoids the interchangeable pattern effect, this great disease of too eager glances. In "Delicious Water", this singularity counts a lot: it avoids the interchangeable pattern effect, this great disease of too eager glances. In "Delicious Water", this singularity counts a lot: it avoids the interchangeable pattern effect, this great disease of too eager glances. In "Delicious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Delicious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Delicious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Delicious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Delicious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Delicious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Delicious Water", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Del

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#70

Paul Gauguin

Tahitian landscape

Date1891CollectionMinneapolis Institute of ArtFormat68 x 92 cm

In "Tahitian Landscape", the line holds the shapes while the color takes some very calculated liberties; the whole seems direct, never improvised at random; the contrast leads the gaze without rigidity. In "Tahitian Landscape", the work is dated 1891; it is kept at the Minneapolis Institute of Art; it measures 68 x 92 cm. For "Tahitian Landscape" by Paul Gauguin, on the scale of the image, this singularity counts a lot: it avoids the interchangeable pattern effect, this great disease of too much-squeezed glances. In "Tahitian Landscape", this singularity matters a lot: it avoids the interchangeable pattern effect, this great disease of overly hurried glances. In "Tahitian Landscape", this singularity matters a lot: it avoids the interchangeable pattern effect, this great disease of overly hurried glances. In "Tahitian Landscape", this singularity belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Tahitian Landscape", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Tahitian Landscape", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Tahitian Landscape", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Tahitian Landscape", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Tahitian Landscape", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and

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#71

Paul Gauguin

Tahitian women by the river

The rhythm of "Tahitian Women by the River" depends on repetitions, deviations and simple masses; Gauguin knows that an image can speak loudly without multiplying details; the motif leads the gaze without rigidity. For "Tahitian Women by the River" by Paul Gauguin, on the scale of the image, this singularity matters a lot: it avoids the interchangeable motif effect, this great disease of too much-squeezed glances. In "Tahitian Women by the River", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration should not erase. In "Tahitian Women by the River", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration should not erase. In "Tahitian Women by the River", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration should not erase. In "Tahitian Women by the River", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration should not erase. In "Tahitian Women by the River", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration should not erase. In "Tahitian Women by the River", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration should not erase. In "Tahitian Women by the River", the subject belongs to Gauguin

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#72

Paul Gauguin

At the foot of the mountain

The motif of "At the foot of the mountain" seems calm, yet the contours, voids and colors maintain a continuous tension under this first tranquility; the composition leads the gaze without rigidity. "At the foot of the mountain" is kept at the Hermitage Museum. For "At the foot of the mountain" by Paul Gauguin, the balance between observation and memory remains decisive; Paul Gauguin adjusts the distance until presence and memory are held in the same surface. In "At the foot of the mountain", the balance between observation and memory remains decisive; Paul Gauguin adjusts the distance until presence and memory are held in the same surface. In "At the foot of the mountain", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "At the foot of the mountain", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "At the foot of the mountain", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "At the foot of the mountain", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "At the foot of the mountain", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "At the foot of the mountain", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "At the foot of the mountain", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "At the foot of the mountain", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism

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#73

Paul Gauguin

In the vanilla, man and horse

The motif of "In the vanilla, man and horse" appears calm, yet the contours, voids and colors maintain a continuous tension under this first tranquility; the line gives its temperature to the whole. For "In the vanilla, man and horse" by Paul Gauguin, the balance between observation and memory remains decisive; Paul Gauguin adjusts the distance until presence and memory are held in the same surface. In "In the vanilla, man and horse", the balance between observation and memory remains decisive; Paul Gauguin adjusts the distance until presence and memory are held in the same surface. In "In the vanilla, man and horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "In the vanilla, man and horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "In the vanilla, man and horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In a reproduction, "In the vanilla, man and horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In a reproduction, "In the vanilla, man and horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In a reproduction, "In the vanilla, man and horse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In a reproduction, "In the vanilla, man and horse", the painting belongs to

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#74

Paul Gauguin

Under the Pandanus

The framing of "Sous le Pandanus" favors the relationships of shapes and tones; realism recedes, but the composition gains a very visible framework; color gives its temperature to the whole. For "Sous le Pandanus" by Paul Gauguin, the gaze finds a precise reason to slow down: a line, an edge, a profile or a contrast which gives the painting its little authority. In "Sous le Pandanus", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration should not erase. In "Sous le Pandanus", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration should not erase. In "Sous le Pandanus", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration should not erase. In "Sous le Pandanus", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration should not erase. In "Sous le Pandanus", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration should not erase. In "Sous le Pandanus", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration should not erase. In "Sous le Pandanus", the subject belongs to Gau

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#75

Paul Gauguin

Near huts, or Around huts

In "Near the Boxes, or Around the Huts", the line holds the shapes while the color takes some very calculated liberties; the whole seems direct, never improvised at random; the rhythm gives its temperature to the whole. For "Near the Boxes, or Around the Huts" by Paul Gauguin, on the scale of the image, this singularity counts a lot: it avoids the interchangeable pattern effect, this great disease of too hurried glances. In "Near the Boxes, or Around the Huts", this singularity counts a lot: it avoids the interchangeable pattern effect, this great disease of too hurried glances. In "Near the Boxes, or Around the Huts", this singularity matters a lot: it avoids the interchangeable pattern effect, this great disease of too hurried glances. In "Near the Boxes, or Around the Huts", this singularity matters a lot: it avoids the interchangeable pattern effect, this great disease of too hurried glances. In "Near the Boxes, or Around the Huts", this singularity belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not erase. In "Near the Boxes, or Around the Huts", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not erase. In "Near the Boxes, or Around the Huts", the subject belongs to Gauguin's Polynesian universe, a set of major images for modern art but produced in a colonial context that formal admiration must not

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The rhythm of "La Boudeuse" depends on repetitions, deviations and simple masses; Gauguin knows that an image can speak loudly without multiplying details; the rhythm usefully delays the first reading. For "La Boudeuse" by Paul Gauguin, the painting not only seeks to seduce; it affirms a way of seeing where matter, distance and light work together. In "La Boudeuse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Boudeuse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Boudeuse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Boudeuse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Boudeuse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Boudeuse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Boudeuse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Boudeuse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Boudeuse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Boudeuse", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Boudeuse", the painting belongs

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#84

Paul Gauguin

The Nap

Date1892-1894CollectionMetropolitan Museum, New YorkFormat79 x 91 cm

"La Sieste" constructs its strangeness methodically: a silhouette, a tree, an object or a color is enough to shift the entire reading; the framing usefully delays the first reading. Today kept at the Metropolitan Museum, New York, "La Sieste" is dated 1892-1894 and measures 79 x 91 cm. For "La Sieste" by Paul Gauguin, the composition can be read in stages: first the motif, then the masses, then the passages of light which give the painting its true tempo. In "La Sieste", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Sieste", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Sieste", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Sieste", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Sieste", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to solid colors, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Sieste", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to solid colors, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Sieste", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to solid colors, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Sieste", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to solid colors, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "La Sieste", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to solid colors, signs and

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#85

Paul Gauguin

In "Fruit Carriers at Turin Cove, or Seaside II", space is less described than recomposed; the gaze passes from one mass to another as in a frieze in which each interval counts; the contrast maintains a clear decorative tension. For "Fruit Carriers at Turin Cove, or Seaside II" by Paul Gauguin, the composition is read in stages: first the pattern, then the masses, then the passages of light which give the painting its true tempo. In "Fruit Carriers at Turin Cove, or Seaside II" by Paul Gauguin, the composition is read in stages: first the motif, then the masses, then the passages of light which give the painting its true tempo. In "Fruit Carriers at Turin Cove, or Seaside II", the still life serves as a laboratory: first the motif, then the masses, then the passages of light which give the painting its true tempo. In "Fruit Carriers at Turin Cove, or Seaside II", the still life serves as a laboratory: first the motif, then the masses, then the passages of light which give the painting its true tempo. In "Fruit Carriers at Turin Cove, or Seaside II", still life serves as a laboratory: first the motif, then the masses, then the passages of light which give the painting its true tempo. In "Fruit Carriers at Turin Cove, or Seaside II", still life serves as a laboratory: first the motif, then the masses, then the passages of light which give the painting its true tempo. In "Fruit Carriers at Turin Cove, or Seaside II", still life serves as a laboratory: first the motif, then the masses, then the passages of light which give the painting its true tempo. In "Fruit Carriers at Turin Cove, or Seaside II", still life serves as a laboratory:

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#95

Paul Gauguin

Rivers under the trees, Martinique

The framing of "Rivers under the trees, Martinique" favors the relationships of shapes and tones; realism recedes, but the composition gains a very visible framework; the motif maintains a clear decorative tension. For "Rivers under the trees, Martinique" by Paul Gauguin, the force comes less from a burst of brilliance than from a balance: enough structure to guide the eye, enough breathing to let the scene live. In "Rivers of water under the trees, Martinique", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Rivers of water under the trees, Martinique", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Rivers of water under the trees, Martinique", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Rivers of water under the trees, Martinique", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Rivers of water under the trees, Martinique", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Rivers of water under the trees, Martinique", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Rivers of water under the trees, Martinique", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Rivers of water under the trees, Martinique", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Rivers of water under the trees, Martinique", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "Rivers of water

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#96

Paul Gauguin

The harbor of Saint-Pierre seen from Anse Turin

The motif of "The Harbor of Saint-Pierre seen from the cove Turin" appears calm, yet the contours, voids and colors maintain a continuous tension under this first tranquility; the composition maintains a clear decorative tension there. For "The Harbor of Saint-Pierre seen from the cove Turin" by Paul Gauguin, the painting does not only seek to seduce; it affirms a way of seeing where matter, distance and light work together. In "The Harbor of Saint-Pierre seen from the cove Turin", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The Harbor of Saint-Pierre seen from the cove Turin", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The Harbor of Saint-Pierre seen from the cove Turin", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The Harbor of Saint-Pierre seen from the cove Turin", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The Harbor of Saint-Pierre seen from the cove Turin", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In a reproduction, "The Harbor of Saint-Pierre seen from the cove Turin", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The Harbor of Saint-Pierre seen from the cove Turin", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In "The Harbor of Saint-Pierre seen from the cove Turin", the painting belongs to a trajectory where initial impressionism gradually gives way to flat areas, signs and an increasingly autonomous color. In a reproduction, "The Harbor of Saint-Pierre seen from the cove Turin", the painting belongs to a trajectory

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#97

Paul Gauguin

Datearound 1893CollectionMcNay Art MuseumFormat43.8 x 32.7 cm

The composition of "Self-portrait with an idol" transforms a place, a figure or an object into an emblem; painting simplifies to make the image last in memory; the framing organizes the details without stifling them. Dated around 1893, "Self-portrait with an idol" is kept at the McNay Art Museum and measures 43.8 x 32.7 cm. For "Self-portrait with an idol" by Paul Gauguin, the composition can be read in stages: first the motif, then the masses, then the passages of light which give the painting its true tempo. In "Self-portrait with an idol", the portrait here becomes a tool of psychological construction and sometimes of personal staging; pose, background and attributes say as much as the features of the model. The pleasure of "Self-portrait with an idol" comes from this double movement: an immediately recognizable image and a construction that becomes stranger as you look at it.

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What the ranking reveals

One hundred paintings, three tensions which make Gauguin impossible to summarize

The journey reveals a painter who constantly seeks to transform the visible: the impression becomes a sign, the landscape becomes a memory and the figure becomes a symbol. This formal invention remains decisive, but it also accompanies a creation of elsewhere and of oneself. The colors are frank; reading benefits from not being naive.

Color structures before describing

Red, yellow, purple or green distribute space and emotion without asking permission from the actual weather.

The title opens a second scene

Breton, French or Tahitian words add story, enigma and sometimes an invented mythology to what the canvas shows.

The context modifies the outlook

Borrowed sources, colonization and biography of the artist change the way of reading figures without canceling out the pictorial force.

Chronology between ports and myths

Five dates to follow Gauguin

1848Born in Paris

Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin was born on June 7; his childhood in Peru would later contribute to the construction of his identity as a traveling artist.

1883Choose the paint

After several years as a stockbroker and amateur painter, he devoted himself entirely to art despite a difficult family and financial situation.

1888Transform Pont-Aven

The Vision after the sermon and the exchanges with Émile Bernard affirm the synthesis before the eventful stay with Van Gogh in Arles.

1891Leave for Tahiti

Gauguin settled in a French colony and produced images that mixed observation, Polynesian sources, Christianity and European projections.

1903Die in the Marquesas

He died in Hiva Oa after a final period of paintings, writings and conflicts with the colonial administration.

Gauguin in depth

Gauguin: inventing a modern language without confusing elsewhere and truth

Gauguin begins in the vicinity of impressionism, then moves away from it to look for a more constructed, more synthetic and more symbolic painting. Instead of describing each transition of light, it simplifies shapes, surrounds silhouettes and gives colors a new autonomy. The Vision after the sermon summarizes this shift: red does not imitate Breton soil, it makes a mental image visible.

Brittany is a decisive laboratory. Pont-Aven, Le Pouldu, the Bretons, the calvaries, the trees and the paths become the materials of a painting which mixes observation, popular religion, Japanese prints and personal invention. The Yellow Christ, La Belle Angèle and the self-portraits of this period show an artist who creates his image as carefully as his flat areas.

Arles and the difficult dialogue with Van Gogh occupy a short but intense place. The Alyscamps, Café in Arles, the Arlesiennes and Vincent van Gogh painting sunflowers not only tell the story of a famous meeting: they show two artists who each seek an expressive color, with temperaments too busy to share the same cuisine for long.

In Tahiti then in the Marquesas, Gauguin constructed the images that most marked his posterity. Ia Orana Maria, Femmes de Tahiti, Manao tupapau, Te aa no areois, The White Horse or Where do we come from? mix observed motifs, invented stories, Christian references, Polynesian sources and European projection. Their pictorial power is immense; their colonial outlook and the artist's living conditions must also be clearly named.

This double reading does not diminish the paintings. It makes them more precise. The flat areas, rhythms, hieratic figures and colors remain major in the history of modernity, but they do not float outside the world. Looking at Gauguin today means holding together formal invention, desire for that matter, construction of personal myth and power relations. The frame can be golden; reflection is not obliged to be.

The classification opens with the most recognized masterpieces, then follows the major groups of the work: Brittany and Arles, first tropical stays, Tahitian mythologies, portraits, self-portraits, landscapes and still lifes. Each painting must bring a real difference in subject, period or visual solution. One hundred images, yes; one hundred copies of the same paragraph in pareo, certainly not.

Four reading keys

Look at the color without swallowing the whole legend

Flat, outline, source and point of view allow Gauguin to be read beyond the decorative shock. His paintings construct very coherent worlds; this coherence does not exempt them from history, nor contradictions, nor from a perfectly awakened spectator.

Flat

Compare color areas

Large areas bring the shots closer together, set the rhythm and often replace traditional modeling.

Outline

Follow the silhouettes

A dark line separates, connects or monumentalizes shapes such as in cloisonné and certain Japanese prints.

Source

Identify loans

Christian iconography, photography, ancient relief, Polynesian art and personal memory meet in recomposed images.

Viewpoint

Question elsewhere

What seems observed can also be dreamed, simplified or projected by a European artist placed in a colonial context.

Atlas of verifiable images

Continue after the last bold color

Musée d'Orsay, Metropolitan Museum, MFA Boston, MoMA, National Galleries of Scotland, Courtauld, Wikipedia and Wikidata allow you to check dates, collections, sources and context. Elsewhere can remain complex; references do not need to play mirage.

In Alpha Reproduction

01Paul GauguinThe masters of Paul Gauguin 02Paul GauguinCollections & guides 03All reproductions of paintingsCollections & guides

Museums and references

01Wikipedia - art and context for Paul GauguinMuseum & reference 02Wikidata - visual arts for Paul GauguinMuseum & reference 03Wikimedia Commons - art for Paul GauguinMuseum & reference 04The Met - Heilbrunn Timeline of Art HistoryMuseum & reference 05Tate - Art termsMuseum & reference 06Musée d'Orsay - collectionsMuseum & reference

Frequently asked questions

Gauguin without automatic paradise

The essential answers to understanding synthetism, Pont-Aven, Tahiti, self-portraits, visual sources and the colonial reading of major works.

What is Paul Gauguin's most famous painting?

Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? is often considered his pictorial testament. The Vision after the Sermon, The Yellow Christ, Manao tupapau, Ia Orana Maria and When are you getting married? are also among his most famous images.

Why is The Vision after the Sermon so important?

Because it breaks with the impressionist description. The red floor, the contours and the separation between Breton women and the biblical scene show a mental, synthetic and symbolic painting.

What is synthetism in Gauguin?

Synthetism simplifies shapes, reinforces contours, and uses color to express an idea or emotion rather than just to reproduce observed light.

Why should we talk about the colonial context?

Because Tahitian images were produced in a French colony and often reflect the outlook, fantasies and position of power of a European artist. This story is part of their current reading.

Did Gauguin even paint Tahiti?

No. He painted Paris, Copenhagen, Brittany, Arles, Martinique, Tahiti and the Marquesas, as well as numerous portraits, self-portraits and still lifes.

What connection exists between Gauguin and Van Gogh?

They worked together in Arles in 1888 and shared the ambition of an expressive color. Their cohabitation ends badly, but their dialogue profoundly marks the history of post-impressionism.

Which Gauguin reproduction to choose for an interior?

For an instantly recognizable image, choose The Yellow Christ, Ia Orana Maria or The White Horse. For more mystery, Manao tupapau, Hina Tefatou or Nevermore give a darker and more symbolic presence.

Why do Gauguin's colors look so modern?

Because they directly organize space and emotion. Red, yellow, purple or green do not just describe the motif: they give the painting its rhythm and inner logic.