Street in Tahiti

The vibrant colors of Paul Gauguin’s painting express his intense reaction to the mysteries of the “new Eden” that he sought in the South Pacific. Disgusted with modern European culture, Gauguin left France in search of a “less spoiled” way of life lived in intimate association with nature. His stated goal was to renew his art through contact with a non-European, pre-industrial culture. In 1891 he traveled to Tahiti and found it greatly influenced by Christian missionaries and French colonization. Disappointed, he eventually created his fantasy vision of “primitive” Tahitian culture on his canvases—though his actual interaction with Pacific Islanders was largely exploitative and even abusive. Street in Tahiti was among the first group of paintings Gauguin produced in Tahiti during his initial two-year stay. He conveyed something of the special character of the place—the limpid light, rich color, lush vegetation, and lofty mountains—through his use of strong contours, flattened shapes, repeated curving rhythms, and tautly patterned brushstrokes. However, minor notes of strain, such as the brooding woman and heavy clouds pressing down from above, introduce undertones of sadness and disquiet.