Noanoa Planche 21
Gauguin created this evocative page for his travelogue 'Noa Noa,' a journal designed to explain his escape to Tahiti to the French public. The composition contrasts a sparse room below—complete with a simple bed and a table of fruit—against a floating, dreamlike vision above. In that upper cloud, we see a rocky landscape with figures and a palm tree, capturing the exotic fantasy he was chasing. The loose watercolor washes and scratchy ink lines give the piece a raw, intimate feel, like a peek into his actual diary.
- Technique
- Watercolor and ink
- Material
- Paper