The Siesta

The Siesta by Paul Gauguin is an oil on canvas painting created between 1892 and 1894 during the artist’s first extended sojourn in Tahiti. This vibrant work is classified as Post-Impressionist, reflecting Gauguin’s continued departure from naturalism toward Symbolism, characterized by flattened forms and saturated color fields. The painting is a significant piece within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

The composition features Tahitian women resting in the warm interior of a traditional dwelling. Gauguin uses blocks of rich color, notably the deep reds and yellows, to convey the tropical heat and stillness of the afternoon. In the foreground, one woman reclines while another sits cross-legged, seemingly engaged in or pausing from domestic tasks. Close inspection reveals several carefully rendered items that speak to daily life, including woven baskets and what appear to be hot irons resting nearby on a cloth, suggesting interrupted household chores or laundry preparation.

This period marked Gauguin’s search for an idyllic, primitive culture, a thematic concern central to his artistic output in the 1890s. While the scene presents a moment of restful tranquility, the depiction is heavily romanticized, reflecting Western notions of the exotic rather than true ethnographic reality. The work demonstrates the Post-Impressionist mastery of the artist, utilizing line and color for emotional impact over strict realism. As a celebrated artwork, high-quality digital prints of The Siesta are widely disseminated, often residing in the public domain due to the age of the original canvas.