Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?
Paul Gauguin · 1897
Why it's great
Gauguin painted this huge canvas in Tahiti as a kind of life story, from a baby on the right to an old woman on the left. The title asks three of life's biggest questions. He considered it his masterpiece and said he painted it before planning to end his life, though he lived on. It's famous for its dreamy colors and for asking questions everyone wonders about.
Where to see it
📍 Museum of Fine Arts BostonBoston, United States
Open in Maps ↗ About this museum →Hang it on your wall
Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.
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.
