Post-Impressionism · 1848–1903 · French

Paul Gauguin

Gauguin painted in flat areas of bold, unnatural color, often ringed with dark outlines, choosing color for feeling and symbol rather than description.

Across 6 works, the colors are mostly brown (36%), gray (15%) and blue (12%). On average the canvases are mid-toned, vivid and warm. Signature colors, used far more here than across the collection: scarlet red, dark muted blue, light gold, light scarlet orange and rich orange ochre.

Color print

The swatches covering most of these canvases, averaged over every work, dark to light.

• MG 019 scarlet red 5.1% of canvas
• MG 099 dark muted blue 4.7% of canvas
• MG 222 charcoal 4.1% of canvas
• MG 038 light gold 4.1% of canvas
• MG 218 graphite 3.9% of canvas
• MG 211 dark slate 3.6% of canvas
• MG 098 dark muted azure blue 3.5% of canvas
• MG 168 dark amber brown 3.2% of canvas
• MG 217 iron 3.1% of canvas
• MG 216 dark grey 3.1% of canvas
• MG 178 rich orange ochre 3.0% of canvas
• MG 210 slate 2.9% of canvas
• MG 100 very dark muted blue 2.8% of canvas
• MG 177 dark taupe 2.7% of canvas
• MG 221 blue black 2.7% of canvas
• MG 032 light orange amber 2.6% of canvas

Measurements

Lightness

0.51

Contrast

0.50

Vividness

0.060

Warmth

+0.69

Complexity

190 cells

Hue range

0.55

Focus

0.10

Works

• Vision After the Sermon, 1888
• The Yellow Christ, 1889
• Tahitian Women on the Beach, 1890
• Manaò tupapaú, 1892
• When Will You Marry?, 1892
• Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, c. 1897