1892, Paul Gauguin, Arearea -- Musée d'Orsay (Paris)
From the museum label: In this painting which Gauguin brought back from Tahiti in 1893, the artist creates a free interpretation of ancient Maori culture. The Tahitian title Arearea, which means "joys" or "amusements", sums up his quest for a fantasy world. Behind the two seated women, a mysterious ritual is taking place around a Tahitian idol, Hina. Her iconography blends Egyptian hieratism with the monumental scale of the Easter Island statues.
1892, Paul Gauguin, Arearea -- Musée d'Orsay (Paris)
From the museum label: In this painting which Gauguin brought back from Tahiti in 1893, the artist creates a free interpretation of ancient Maori culture. The Tahitian title Arearea, which means "joys" or "amusements", sums up his quest for a fantasy world. Behind the two seated women, a mysterious ritual is taking place around a Tahitian idol, Hina. Her iconography blends Egyptian hieratism with the monumental scale of the Easter Island statues.