Priya Kapoor
Paul Gauguin's 'Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?' is a Post-Impressionist masterpiece. Created in Tahiti between 1897 and 1898, the painting is a philosophical work, exploring the spectrum of human activity throughout life, from birth to death. The work is rich in symbolism, with Gauguin's use of colour and form creating an evocative and dreamlike vision of daily existence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Paul Gauguin |
| Year | 1897-1898 |
| Style | Post-Impressionism |
| Location | Created in Tahiti; Currently in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, US |
| Gauguin's Comments | Gauguin considered it his most complete work; Gauguin put all his energy into the painting, considering it a masterpiece |
| Gauguin's State of Mind | Gauguin was in a state of personal crisis, poor health, and suicidal |
| Gauguin's Intent | To express his highly personal mythology; to represent the spectrum of human activity throughout one's life, from birth to death |
| Gauguin's Technique | Use of colour to draw attention and accentuate emotions; use of dark blue to create an atmosphere of despair and sadness |
| Gauguin's Influences | Combination and adaptation of symbols from Western and non-Western sources |
| Gauguin's Signature | P. Gauguin / 1897 |
| Gauguin's Inscription | D'où Venons Nous / Que Sommes Nous / Où Allons Nous |
| Critical Reception | Not well-received during Gauguin's lifetime due to its proximity to his death and the distance between artistic circles of Paris and Tahiti; later gained widespread critical approval |
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What You'll Learn
The painting's creation in Tahiti
Paul Gauguin's painting "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" was created in Tahiti during a period of deep personal struggle. In 1891, Gauguin left France for Tahiti, seeking an untouched society free from the influences of Western civilisation. He was drawn to the island's exotic landscape and its people, which he viewed as a source of artistic inspiration. However, his time in Tahiti was not without challenges. Gauguin faced financial difficulties, poor health, and the loss of his beloved daughter, Aline.
The painting is a reflection of Gauguin's personal journey and his search for meaning in life. It explores the fundamental questions of human existence, including birth, life, death, and destiny. The composition of the painting is designed to recall frescoes or icons painted on a gold ground, with deliberate disproportions between the figures, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. The use of bright yellow in the upper corners and the arrangement of figures contribute to this effect.
The painting is rich in symbolism and draws on a variety of Western and non-Western sources. It features human, animal, and symbolic figures arranged across an island landscape, with the sea and Tahiti's volcanic mountains visible in the background. The figures represent different stages of human life, from birth to old age, each infused with spiritual and mythical undertones. The blue idol, for example, symbolises 'the Beyond'. The central figure picking fruit is a reference to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, while the ambiguity of their sexuality reflects Gauguin's attraction to the ancient concept of hermaphroditism.
Gauguin's time in Tahiti influenced his artistic style and subject matter. His use of bold colours, symbolic themes, and unconventional techniques set him apart from his contemporaries. He blended European artistic traditions with elements from Tahitian and Polynesian culture, creating a unique and modern visual language. Gauguin's paintings from this period are considered some of the most powerful and enigmatic in art history, offering a glimpse into the mind of an artist constantly searching for meaning beyond the ordinary.
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Gauguin's personal crisis
Paul Gauguin created the painting "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" during a period of personal crisis in his life. The painting, created in Tahiti in 1898, was a product of the artist's struggles and deteriorating mental health.
Gauguin had moved to Tahiti permanently in 1895, seeking recognition and success after facing challenges in Paris. However, his time in Tahiti was marked by illness, financial difficulties, and personal losses. During this low point in his life, Gauguin received the devastating news of his beloved daughter Aline's death from pneumonia.
Amidst his personal crisis, Gauguin channelled his energy into creating the painting, considering it a summation of his artistic ideas and a masterpiece. He viewed the painting as a reflection of his passion and clear vision, believing that it transcended conventional techniques and rules. Gauguin's personal mythology and interpretation of life's mysteries were woven into the painting's dreamlike vision.
The painting explores the spectrum of human activity throughout life, from birth to death. It features some of Gauguin's favourite subjects, including a reclining nude, contemplative figures, and a cult statue. The composition corresponds to the questions posed in the title, with a newborn baby on the right and a haggard old woman reflecting on the past. Gauguin's use of colour, such as the prominent dark blue, evokes emotions and accentuates specific elements, creating an atmosphere of despair and the unknown.
Despite Gauguin's enthusiasm for the painting, it was not well-received during his lifetime. The distance between the artistic circles of Paris and Tahiti may have contributed to the initial lack of critical appreciation. It was only after his death that Gauguin's work, including "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?", gained widespread critical approval and sparked a craze for purchasing his paintings.
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The painting's interpretation
Paul Gauguin's "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" is a philosophical work that explores the fundamental questions of human existence: origins, identity, purpose, and destiny. The painting, created in Tahiti between 1897 and 1898, is a testament to Gauguin's trailblazing post-impressionistic style, with vivid colours and thick brushstrokes. The artist himself considered it a masterpiece, believing that it surpassed all his previous work.
The painting's composition is deliberately designed to recall frescoes or icons painted on a gold ground. The upper corners are painted in bright yellow, contributing to the fresco-like effect, and the figures appear out of proportion, as if floating in space rather than resting on the earth. The yellow corners also bear an inscription in French, now the work's title, and Gauguin's signature.
The painting is rich in symbolic imagery and invites interpretation. Gauguin himself suggested that the figures have mysterious symbolic meanings that answer the questions posed by the work's title. The sleeping infant on the right represents "where we come from", the standing figure in the middle is "what we are", and the crouching old woman on the left is "where we are going". The blue idol in the background represents "the Beyond", with the dark blue background creating an atmosphere of despair and the unknown. The only area of significant light is on the pair of young women in the centre, experiencing youth and adulthood.
Gauguin's use of colour is intentional, drawing attention and accentuating the emotions he wishes to convey. The tall figure of Eve, for example, highlights her role as the original source of life and knowledge, distributing it to those around her. Her height also symbolises humanity's high point and our collective ability to take control of our destiny.
The work's allegorical subject matter and its execution reflect Gauguin's artistic genius, with the artist himself stressing the role of inspiration and the workings of the subconscious. The painting was created during a period of despair for Gauguin, following the tragic death of his favourite daughter, and it was intended as his last testamentary picture before a failed suicide attempt.
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Gauguin's use of colour
Paul Gauguin's use of colour in "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" is highly intentional and symbolic. The painting, created in a Post-Impressionist style, features a range of colours that serve to emphasise certain elements and convey specific emotions and moods.
One of the most notable colour choices is the use of dark blue. The background of the painting, a forest, is tinted with dark blue instead of the more traditional green and brown hues. This unusual colour choice evokes a sense of the unknown and of the surroundings closing in on the figures in the foreground. The same dark blue is also used for the idol and the shadows, further enhancing the atmosphere of despair and sadness that permeates the work. The blue idol, according to Gauguin, symbolises "the Beyond", and by using the same colour in the background, he associates the surroundings with this concept as well.
The lighting in the painting is also carefully controlled through colour. The only area of significant light falls on the pair of young women in the centre, who represent youth and adulthood. This strategic use of light and colour highlights the optimism and potential associated with these life stages.
Gauguin himself acknowledged the importance of colour in his work, referring to the "musical" role it plays in his paintings. He believed that colour had the power to evoke "what is the most general, and by the same token, the most vague in nature, its interior force". This belief is evident in "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?", where the colours used contribute to the overall philosophical and allegorical nature of the work.
The painting's yellow corners are also significant. Gauguin felt that these corners gave the painting a fresco-like effect, as if it were "a fresco whose corners are spoiled with age, and which is attached to a golden wall". The inscription in the upper left corner, written in French, and his signature in the upper right corner are both set against these yellow corners, adding to the unique composition and interpretation of the work.
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The painting's critical reception
Paul Gauguin's "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" received considerable attention when it was exhibited in Paris in 1898 at Ambroise Vollard's gallery. Critics observed that the painting resists easy interpretation and singular narrative. Gauguin himself described the painting as a "language of the dream", with its various forms and deep spaces tied together by its overall tonalities in green and blue.
Gauguin's use of colour is notable, as he employs it to evoke different feelings about the various stages of life and to draw the viewer's attention to specific parts of the painting. The repetitive use of dark blue in the background, on the idol, and in the shadows, for example, creates an atmosphere of despair and sadness. Gauguin's smooth paint application and choice of a coarse and heavy burlap support further emphasize the painting's fresco-like effect.
The painting also explores Gauguin's personal mythology, which combines and adapts symbols from a variety of Western and non-Western sources. The blue idol, for instance, symbolises 'the Beyond', while the newborn baby and the haggard old woman mark the boundaries of the scene, with the dreamlike vision of adulthood in between. The painting also includes some of Gauguin's favourite subjects, such as the reclining nude and the group of figures lost in thought.
Gauguin considered the painting his masterpiece and the summation of his artistic ideas. He wrote, "I have put all my energy into it one more time before I die, so painful a passion in such dreadful circumstances, so clear and accurate a vision, that there is no trace of precociousness and life blossoms forth from it."
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Frequently asked questions
The painting represents the spectrum of human activity throughout one’s life, from birth to death. Gauguin also uses colour to draw attention and accentuate the emotions he wishes to convey. For example, the use of dark blue in the background and shadows creates an atmosphere of despair and sadness.
Gauguin created the painting in Tahiti during a time of great personal crisis. He was struggling with his health, mounting debt, and the death of his beloved daughter, Aline. He also could not find recognition and success in Paris. The painting was his artistic last will and testament.
The painting is done in a Post-Impressionism style. Gauguin used a smooth paint application on a coarse and heavy burlap support to create a fresco-like effect. He also used colour to evoke certain emotions and moods.
Gauguin's masterpiece was not well-received during his lifetime due to its proximity to his death and the distance between the artistic circles of Paris and Tahiti. It was only after his death that his work, including this painting, received widespread critical approval.
