Tahitian Landscape, 1891, Paul Gauguin, French, 1848 - 1903, 26 3/4 x 36 3/8 in. (67.95 x 92.39 cm) (canvas)37 1/8 x 47 x 3 3/4 in. (94.3 x 119.38 x 9.53 cm) (outer frame), Oil on canvas, France, 19th century, Paul Gauguin went to Tahiti in 1891 in search of new, exotic motifs, but also to escape European civilization, which he felt was artificial and spiritually bankrupt. This picture, one of the first he painted in the South Seas, exhibits the artist's characteristic post-Impressionist style. In it, Gauguin used sinuous contours and intense colors to express the joy and serenity inspired by the lush tropical site.