A free virtual exhibition of 14 works by Paul Gauguin that you can walk through in your browser, on desktop or phone, with nothing to install. The room spans paintings, prints and decorative objects, from Arlésiennes (Mistral), painted beside Van Gogh in Arles, to the Tahitian Mahana no atua (Day of the God).
About Paul Gauguin
Paul Gauguin (1848–1903) was a French artist and a leading figure of Post-Impressionism. He worked as a stockbroker in Paris and painted as an amateur, exhibiting with the Impressionists, before devoting himself fully to art in the 1880s. In Pont-Aven in Brittany he developed, with Émile Bernard and others, a style known as Synthetism, using flat areas of bold color and strong outlines. In 1888 he spent a turbulent period working with Vincent van Gogh in Arles. In 1891 he left for Tahiti, and later settled in the Marquesas Islands, where he died in 1903. Gauguin worked across painting, woodcut, ceramics and carving, and his expressive color and interest in myth and symbolism strongly influenced the Nabis, the Fauves and early modernists such as Picasso and Matisse. His Tahitian work is also discussed today for its colonial perspective.
Highlights in this room
Arlésiennes (Mistral)
Painted in Arles in 1888 during his stay with Van Gogh, the picture shows women in dark shawls walking through a public garden, bracing against the wind. The flattened forms and strange, stylized shrubs show Gauguin moving away from observation toward memory and imagination.
Mahana no atua (Day of the God)
Made in Paris in 1894, between his two stays in Polynesia, this painting arranges Tahitian figures around a carved deity above a pool of abstract color. It is less a scene from life than a dreamlike vision of ritual and paradise.
Merahi metua no Tehamana (Tehamana Has Many Parents)
A young Tahitian woman sits in a formal pose, holding a fan, in front of a wall of invented glyphs and figures. The painting blends portraiture with Gauguin's fascination with Polynesian belief and ancestry.
No te aha oe riri (Why Are You Angry?)
Women gather outside a thatched house in a lush landscape, painted in broad, saturated planes of color. The title, taken from Tahitian speech, adds a note of mystery to a seemingly calm scene.
How to enjoy the exhibition
- Look at color as color. Gauguin used pinks, oranges and violets for emotional effect rather than realism. Walk up to a work to see how flat, bold areas sit side by side.
- Follow the outlines. Dark contours around figures and trees are a hallmark of Synthetism. Notice how they simplify form.
- Don't miss the objects. The room includes a carved wooden box and a ceramic vase; they show Gauguin as a sculptor and craftsman too.
- Compare Brittany, Arles and Tahiti. Move between the works to see how his palette warms and his forms loosen over time.
- Read the titles. Click a work to read its label; many titles are in Tahitian, and their translations change how you read the scene.
If you are curious about how a room like this works, here is a short guide to what a virtual gallery is.
Create a room like this for your own work
This room was built with Xibit360, the same tool any artist can use. You can light and frame each work individually, set the mood with themes and layouts, exhibit video works alongside still images, and embed the finished room on your own website. Artists who work across media can show paintings, objects and video in the same space. It is free to start, and upgrades are one-time purchases, with no subscription.
Know an artist who should see this?
If you know a painter, printmaker or photographer whose work deserves a space like this, send them this page. They can walk through the room above to see what is possible, and picture their own work on the walls.
FAQ
Is the Gauguin virtual exhibition free?
Yes. The exhibition is free to visit in your browser, and you can walk through all 14 works at your own pace.
Can I view it on my phone?
Yes. The same walkable space works on desktop and on phone, so you can explore the room wherever you are.
Does the exhibition include Gauguin's Tahitian works?
Yes. Many of the 14 works come from his years in Polynesia, including Te raau rahi (The Big Tree), Te burao (The Hibiscus Tree), Mahana no atua and No te aha oe riri.