Two Women

Two Women is an oil on canvas painting created by Paul Gauguin between 1901 and 1902, representing a crucial work from the artist’s late career in the South Pacific. This classification of painting is a key example of Gauguin's mature Symbolist style, executed during his final years spent primarily on the Marquesas Islands. The composition centrally features two Indigenous women, utilizing broad, flat expanses of color characteristic of Synthetism, a style which rejects traditional shadow and modeling in favor of simplified forms and heavy outlines.

This canvas reflects Gauguin’s continued commitment to depicting the cultural life and perceived spirituality of Polynesia, a theme he aggressively pursued after relocating from Europe. While the palette is intense and frequently non-naturalistic—a deliberate choice to evoke emotional rather than objective reality—Gauguin successfully conveys a profound sense of stillness and contemplation in the figures. The subject matter—focused almost exclusively on the female form—explores themes of primal existence and idealized simplicity, which were central to the Symbolist movement at the turn of the century.

The painting resides in the extensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, serving as a significant marker in the history of Post-Impressionism. As a pivotal masterwork created over a century ago, the image is often reproduced, allowing institutions and enthusiasts to study the composition. Consequently, high-quality prints derived from this piece are widely accessible, frequently appearing through public domain art initiatives and educational resources around the globe. This piece remains a powerful testament to Gauguin's revolutionary handling of color and his profound influence on subsequent modern art movements.