The Large Tree

Paul Gauguin · 1891

Disgusted with the materialism of European society, Gauguin abandoned his family and career as a stockbroker and departed for Tahiti in 1891. This canvas is among the first paintings he completed on the island. Its rich colors and stylized figures were intended to be both symbolic and mysterious, evoking private thoughts and emotions. “I obtain symphonies,” he wrote, “harmonies that represent nothing real in the absolute sense of the word.”

Artist

Paul Gauguin

Date

1891

Medium

oil on canvas

Culture

France, 19th century

Dimensions

Framed: 92.4 x 112.7 x 6.4 cm (36 3/8 x 44 3/8 x 2 1/2 in.); Unframed: 74 x 92.8 cm (29 1/8 x 36 9/16 in.)

Credit

Gift of Barbara Ginn Griesinger

Open-access artwork courtesy of Cleveland Museum of Art. Mooseium is not affiliated with or endorsed by this institution.