The Siesta
Paul Gauguin · 1892
Why it's great
Two Tahitian women sit and lie on a veranda in the heat of the afternoon, resting. Gauguin used flat, rich colors, to show the warmth of the tropics. The mood is quiet and drowsy. It's a view of an island afternoon.
Where to see it
📍 Metropolitan Museum of ArtNew York City, United States
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Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
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Paul Gauguin was born in Paris and spent part of childhood in Peru. He worked as a stockbroker before turning to painting full-time. He lived in Brittany, in Arles with Van Gogh, and then in Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific, seeking a simpler life. His flat, vivid colors influenced Picasso and Matisse.
