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Et l'or de leur corps by Paul Gauguin

Et l'or de leur corps

Paul Gauguin · 1901

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“Stop to see how Gauguin uses brilliant color and simplified forms to create a serene, almost dreamlike scene of two Tahitian women bathed in golden light, evoking a sense of harmony with nature.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

In this painting, two Tahitian women sit by a tree, their bodies bathed in a soft, golden light. One woman, seen from behind, gazes towards the water, her form mirroring the gentle curve of the landscape. Beside her, another woman faces us, her expression serene as she holds a flower. The vibrant colors and simplified forms create a sense of harmony between the figures and their lush surroundings. Gauguin painted this work in 1901, during his later years in the Marquesas Islands. The title, "Et l'or de leur corps," which translates to "And the gold of their bodies," speaks to the radiant quality of the women's skin and the idealized, almost spiritual, connection he sought to portray with his subjects and their environment. This piece reflects his ongoing exploration of a world he perceived as untouched by Western industrialization.

DETAILS
Artist
Paul Gauguin
Date
1901
Medium
Oil on canvas
Location
Musée d'Orsay
ART MOVEMENTS
ImpressionismPost-ImpressionismSymbolism
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What to Notice

Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

Et l'or de leur corps
01

The golden glow on the women's skin, almost like a halo.

02

The way the woman on the left's back echoes the curve of the distant hill.

03

The single red flower held by the woman facing forward, a vibrant detail.

04

The simplified, almost sculptural forms of the women's bodies.

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THE ARTIST

Paul Gauguin

1848–1903 · France

Paul Gauguin, the French Post-Impressionist, abandoned a stockbroker's life for art, famously seeking 'refuge from Western civilization' in Tahiti.

Read Gauguin’s full story
MORE FROM THIS ARTIST

Further Works by Gauguin

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The Seine at Pont de Grenelle The Seine at Pont de Grenelle 1875 · Wallraf–Richartz Museum Still Life: Wood Tankard and Metal Pitcher Still Life: Wood Tankard and Metal Pitcher 1880 · Art Institute of Chicago The Little One Is Dreaming, Etude The Little One Is Dreaming, Etude 1881 · Ordrupgaard An Orchard under the Church of Bihorel An Orchard under the Church of Bihorel 1884 · Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum Blue roofs of Rouen Blue roofs of Rouen 1884 · Museum collection Am Römerholz Evening Primroses in a Vase Evening Primroses in a Vase 1885 Fruit Fruit 1886 Stil life with white vase Stil life with white vase 1886 · Kunsthaus Zürich
EXPLORE THE MOVEMENT

More from Symbolism

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Beata Beatrix Beata Beatrix Rossetti · 1877 · Birmingham Museums Trust Potted Plant Potted Plant Munch · 1881 · Munch Museum Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago Portrait of a Lady in a High Hat Portrait of a Lady in a High Hat Klimt · 1882 · Art Institute of Chicago
KEEP EXPLORING

More works to explore

Beyond Gauguin and Symbolism: works from the same years, and from the other movements Et l'or de leur corps belongs to.

Carmelina Same movement · Post-Impressionism Carmelina Henri Matisse · 1903 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston A Woman Walking in a Garden Same era · 1880s–1910s A Woman Walking in a Garden Vincent van Gogh · 1887 · Frans Buffa & sons The Old Guitarist Same movement · Post-Impressionism The Old Guitarist Pablo Picasso · 1903 · Art Institute of Chicago Still Life with Crayfish Same era · 1880s–1910s Still Life with Crayfish Mikhail Larionov · 1900 · Museum Ludwig Equestrienne (At the Cirque Fernando) Same movement · Post-Impressionism Equestrienne (At the Cirque Fernando) Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1887 · Art Institute of Chicago Frauenkopf vor Sonnenblumen Same era · 1880s–1910s Frauenkopf vor Sonnenblumen Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1906 · Museum Frieder Burda After the Bullfight Same movement · Impressionism After the Bullfight Mary Cassatt · 1873 · Art Institute of Chicago Charing Cross Bridge, London Same era · 1880s–1910s Charing Cross Bridge, London Claude Monet · 1901 · Art Institute of Chicago
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