BP #4

The artwork I chose to write about for this essay is “Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?”.  It was painted by Paul Gaugin in Tahiti (1897)

The title of this painting made me interested because of what we talked about in class.  I feel like the artist was asking the questions about what human beings were doing during that time period we discussed.

It seems very primitive.  There is no modern technology in the painting.  I see a man with an apple in his hand looking up at the sky or maybe heaven.  This could be a symbol of Adam and Eve from the Bible story.  The people in the background of this painting seem very peaceful.  They are living with the animals and nature and look to be comfortable,  even the animals look very calm and relaxed. It seems like a paradise.

The colors that the artist used also make me feel very peaceful.  I feel that Gaugin used natural Earth colors to represent natural life.  

When I did further research on this artwork,  I was shocked to discover that Gaugin was planning on killing himself when he finished painting it.  He considered it his masterpiece.  

Paul Gaugin was a very thoughtful and spiritual person.  He felt empty with the modern society and left Paris to live in Tahiti,  closer to nature.  He wanted to live a more simple and beautiful life.

This painting was done after one of his daughter’s died.  I was so surprised to learn that because of how peaceful it makes me feel when looking at it.  

He used symbolism to express his wonder about the questions asked in the title of the painting,  which represent the three phases of life;  adolescence,  adulthood,  and old age.

The blue statue is a symbol of “the Beyond”. What happens when we die?  He was obviously very distressed about his daughter’s death.

I feel that this painting, in particular,  and Paul Gaugin as an artist represented that time period well.  About the questions of what people were doing to the Earth and nature and wasting time with modern inventions instead of facing the real questions that he asked in the title.