1891
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
The Large Tree is a 1891 unspecified by Paul Gauguin, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a big tree in the middle of a bright, flat field. The colors are bold—deep greens, reds, and blues—with no shadows to make it look real. Gauguin painted this right after he left France for Tahiti. He wanted the colors and shapes to feel like music, not like a photo. The tree isn’t just a tree; it’s supposed to mean something, but he left it open for you to decide. If you like this, check out more of Paul Gauguin (French, 1848–1903).
Disgusted with the materialism of European society, Gauguin abandoned his family and career as a stockbroker and departed for Tahiti in 1891. This canvas is among the first paintings he completed on the island. Its rich colors and stylized figures were intended to be both symbolic and mysterious, evoking private thoughts and emotions. “I obtain symphonies,” he wrote, “harmonies that represent nothing real in the absolute sense of the word.”
Gauguin positions four women in a friezelike sequence seeking shelter under the dark green leaves of a large tree while the leaves of the second tree add a decorative pattern to the pink thatched roof. With his brush, he captures contrasting elements of the tropical climate, sending the viewer into the cool shade to escape the hot sun.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (; French: ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements.
See the richer artist page
