Three Tahitian Women

Three Tahitian Women is a painting created by Paul Gauguin in 1896, executed using oil on wood. This important work belongs to the period of Gauguin’s second and final sojourn in Tahiti, where he dedicated his practice almost exclusively to documenting and idealizing the life and people of the South Pacific islands. The piece is a crucial example of Post-Impressionist painting and is held in the renowned collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The composition features three monumental female figures arranged against a compressed, boldly colored background. The artist’s depiction of the women, two of whom are presented as female nudes, reflects Gauguin’s deliberate exploration of idealized, non-Western forms, seeking an aesthetic and cultural escape from industrialized Europe. Gauguin employs distinct, flattened areas of color and heavy outlining, characteristic of his Symbolist style, prioritizing decorative intensity and emotional resonance over traditional academic realism.

Gauguin often adapted local sources and traditions to construct his own visual mythology of Polynesia. This work on wood exemplifies his mastery of color and his complex perspective on exoticism and indigenous representation during the late nineteenth century. Because of its cultural significance and age, the image rights for masterpieces such as Three Tahitian Women often reside in the public domain, ensuring that high-quality art prints and educational resources are widely accessible today.