Kaiser - Art Analysis of Mahana No Atua - Paul Gauguin c. 1894

    This painting by Paul Gauguin is called Mahana No Atua, which was painted in 1894. In this painting I have noticed how Gauguin used colors to his advantage. Mahana No Atua was based off of his trip to Tahiti and the colors he had used such as orange, reds, and yellows, really make the painting have more of a tropical feeling. The shapes he used are organic and also show a certain style. There is also a sense of space in this painting. The way he painted the statue of the god above all shows a sense of space around the statue. One principal would be the contrast Gauguin used. If you look at the water, the darker blue of the water makes the orange and yellow reflections pop more to the viewer. The rhythm is an important principal in this painting as well. The organic shapes of the reflections in the water provide a rhythm to the painting. Another principal would be emphasis on the three women by the water. The woman in the middle brings the most attention because she is sitting upright. Behind her, and above, is a statue of the god they are honoring which is also emphasized because of the people gathered around the statue. This piece is good artwork because of how Gauguin used certain colors and organic shapes to give the feel of an island. The girls in the middle also have a deeper meaning of birth, the living, and death. You can see this by how they are in the water. The girl on the left is just touching which represents birth, while the living is in the water, and the girl on the right is out of the water facing away from the viewer which represents death. For these reasons, the colors chosen, organic shapes, and deeper meaning, this is good artwork.