Parau na te Varua ino (Words of the Devil)

Parau na te Varua ino (Words of the Devil) is a seminal oil on canvas painting created by Paul Gauguin in 1892. This masterpiece was executed during the artist’s first influential sojourn in Tahiti, marking a decisive shift away from European academic traditions toward a subjective, Symbolist approach. The work showcases Gauguin’s distinctive Post-Impressionist technique, utilizing broad areas of flat, saturated color and defined contours-a method often referred to as cloisonnism-to achieve a powerful, decorative, and spiritually evocative surface.

The painting merges Polynesian religious mythology with the artist's personal quest for spiritual purity and exoticism. The title itself, translated as "Words of the Devil," points to a visual narrative that explores themes of temptation, sin, and spiritual conflict, often represented by figures posed in a stylized, non-naturalistic jungle setting. Reflecting the artistic explorations prevalent in the French cultural sphere during the period of 1876 to 1900, Gauguin abandoned Impressionist representation in favor of conveying essential, psychological truth through color and form. He sought to portray a raw, primordial state, utilizing the vibrant, non-naturalistic palette that characterized his most important output from the South Pacific.

This highly regarded canvas forms a critical part of the collection at the National Gallery of Art, serving as a crucial reference point for the development of modern art and the Symbolist movement. Its formal innovations influenced generations of subsequent artists. Given its status as a foundational Post-Impressionist masterwork, high-quality images and prints of Parau na te Varua ino are frequently found in the public domain, ensuring wide accessibility for study and appreciation of Gauguin’s profound cultural and aesthetic experiments.