Haere Pape (1892)

Gauguin, Paul (1848-1903)

Haere Pape
1892
Oil on canvas, 91.4 x 67.3 cm
Barnes FoundationPhiladelphia

Fed up with industrialized Europe, Paul Gauguin went to Tahiti in 1891 seeking a simpler, more “primitive” way of life, one uncorrupted by modern technology and social mores. Although the island was in fact changing—it had been colonized by the French—Gauguin painted the Tahiti of his fantasy. Here, as in so many of his canvases from the period, he depicts a native Tahitian wearing a traditional pareo. Barefoot, tranquil, and at ease in her surroundings, the woman appears to be in perfect harmony with nature. (BF)

See also:

• Tahiti (French Polynesia)