Arii Matamoe (The Royal End)
1892
Gauguin serves up a visual shocker here: a severed head resting on a white pillow, looking strangely peaceful, almost like a sleeping beauty rather than a corpse. The title, 'The Royal End,' hints at the death of a chief, and the background is a riot of activity with mourning women and strange, totem-like figures set against vibrant pinks and deep blues. Painted during his first trip to Tahiti in 1892, Gauguin was obsessed with creating a 'savage' paradise for his European audience. He mixed his observations of Polynesian culture with pure fantasy and even Peruvian mummy heads he'd seen in museums to craft this mysterious, ritualistic scene.
Location: J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
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