Hina Tefatou (The Moon and the Earth)
1893
Gauguin brings a Tahitian creation myth to life with bold, earthy tones and a dreamlike atmosphere. A golden-skinned woman, the moon goddess Hina, stands nude and reaches upward, seemingly pleading with the massive, shadowy face of Te Fatou, the earth god, who looms behind her. To the right, a mysterious red pool collects a stream of liquid, while white horses graze in the surreal landscape. Painted during his first trip to Tahiti, this Symbolist masterpiece explores the eternal human desire for immortality—Hina begs for eternal life, but Te Fatou refuses, decreeing that humans must die and be reborn like the moon.
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