Et l'or de leur corps

Painted in 1901 during Gauguin's final years in the Marquesas Islands, 'Et l'or de leur corps' (And the Gold of Their Bodies) exemplifies the artist's mature Tahitian period work. This piece comes from a time when Gauguin, battling health problems and financial struggles, was producing paintings characterized by vivid colors and Symbolist themes that explored relationships between people, nature, and the spiritual world. The title itself suggests Gauguin's ongoing fascination with the physical beauty of Polynesian people, which he saw as a manifestation of a more 'primitive' and authentic way of life, far removed from what he considered the corruption of Western civilization.

By 1901, Gauguin had fully developed his Synthetist style—using bold, flat areas of color and simplified forms rather than realistic representation. This work likely features the golden-brown skin tones that became synonymous with his Tahitian paintings, rendered with the experimental use of color that distinguished him from the Impressionists he had exhibited with in the early 1880s. Created the same year as 'Polynesian Woman with Children' and 'Two Women,' this painting reflects Gauguin's continued exploration of Polynesian subjects during his final productive years. Though only moderately successful during his lifetime, these late works would prove highly influential on the French avant-garde and modern artists like Picasso and Matisse.