Artwork
Eu haere ia oe
Eu haere ia oe is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin. It dates from 1897 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1897, *Eu haere ia oe* is an oil painting by Paul Gauguin that belongs to the Post‑Impressionist period. The work is part of the State Hermitage Museum’s collection. It presents a small outdoor scene populated by three women, rendered in bold, flattened areas of color that emphasize surface over illusion.
Subject & Meaning
At the composition’s centre stands a woman holding a coconut, her calm expression suggesting a moment of quiet repose. She wears a red skirt decorated with stylised leaf motifs. Behind her, two additional figures are seated near a low building; one is engaged in combing her hair, adding a domestic nuance to the scene.
Technique & Style
Gauguin employs his characteristic Synthetist approach, reducing forms to simplified shapes and vivid, non‑naturalistic hues. Thick impasto layers give the reds of the skirt and the yellow of the coconut a tactile presence, while the overall palette of orange, red and green creates a warm, flat visual field that foregrounds decorative pattern over depth.
History & Provenance
The painting was produced during Gauguin’s mature phase, when he was exploring exotic subjects and experimenting with color. After changing hands several times, it entered the State Hermitage Museum, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s European art holdings.
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Artist & collection
Artist
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.
