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Three Tahitian Women by Paul Gauguin

Three Tahitian Women

Paul Gauguin · 1896

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“Stop and observe the serene power of these three Tahitian women, painted with bold colors and simplified forms that draw you into their quiet world. This work exemplifies Gauguin's distinctive style from his time in Tahiti.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

Three women gather on a beach, their bodies rendered in rich, warm tones that contrast with the cooler greens and blues of the landscape. Two figures stand close together, their backs to us, while a third sits facing the viewer, her gaze direct and unyielding. The simplified forms and bold outlines give the scene a timeless, almost sculptural quality, a characteristic of works from this period. Notice how the artist uses color not just to describe, but to evoke a mood, with the vibrant hues contributing to the painting's overall intensity. This oil on wood panel captures a sense of quiet contemplation, inviting us to reflect on the figures' connection to their surroundings.

DETAILS
Artist
Paul Gauguin
Date
1896
Medium
Oil on wood
Location
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dimensions
9 5/8 x 17 in. (24.4 x 43.2 cm)
Collection
European Paintings
Credit line
The Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Collection, Gift of Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg, 1997, Bequest of Walter H. Annenberg, 2002
ART MOVEMENTS
ImpressionismPost-ImpressionismSymbolism
LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Five details hide in plain sight. Pick one and we’ll show you exactly where to look.

Three Tahitian Women

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01

Overlapping pair

The two women on the right overlap and bow their heads the same way, almost as one shape. The left figure stands apart, leaning the other way.

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02

Flower crown

Look at the white blossoms circling the dark hair of the middle woman. They are tiny dabs of paint that pick up the flowering branches overhead.

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03

Green-toned skin

The middle woman's back and shoulders shift to olive green, with yellow on the face. The flesh is colored for effect rather than strict realism, a choice that suits Gauguin's bold use of color.

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04

Orange-red wraps

The two saturated red-orange wraps are the loudest color in the picture. They pull your eye down and anchor the pair of women against the soft background.

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05

Patchwork water

The stream is broken into flat patches of yellow, lilac, white and dark green. It reads as shimmering reflection and also as pure pattern.

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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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("Leda") Design for a Plate: Shame on Those Who Evil Think (Honi Soit Qui Mal y Pense) ; cover illustration for the "Volpini Suite" entitled Lithographic Drawings (Dessins lithographiques) ("Leda") Design for a Plate: Shame on Those Who Evil Think (Honi Soit Qui Mal y Pense) ; cover illustration for the "Volpini Suite" entitled Lithographic Drawings (Dessins lithographiques) 1889 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Ia Orana Maria (Hail Mary) Ia Orana Maria (Hail Mary) 1891 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Tahitian Women Bathing Tahitian Women Bathing 1892 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Siesta The Siesta 1892 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art A Farm in Brittany A Farm in Brittany 1894 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Still Life with Teapot and Fruit Still Life with Teapot and Fruit 1896 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Two Tahitian Women Two Tahitian Women 1899 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Seine at Pont de Grenelle The Seine at Pont de Grenelle 1875 · Wallraf–Richartz Museum
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 Three Tahitian Women 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 A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884 Same era · 1880s–1910s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884 Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago
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