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The
Spirit of the Dead Keep Watch
Oil on Burlap
1892
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
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This
oil on burlap painting was made in Tahiti in 1892. It is in the
tradition of a reclining nude but in every way it departs from
tradition. Gauguin celebrates the primitive culture of Tahiti,
at the same time making a radically modern painting. The nude is
a sensuous, strong bodied, brown skinned woman. Her body, the bed
and blankets, and the images behind her are flattened and reduced
to simple, beautiful shapes.
Even the Tahitian inspired pattern
on the bed skirt is simplified to an elegant decoration. Unlike
Cezanne who simplifies the human form into shapes for his compositions,
Gauguin's figures often retain a sense of personality and emotion.
Here, the nude woman emotes sensuality with the gesture of her
feet, her hands, and loose strands of black hair thrown across
the white pillow.
She is being watched by a dark, primitive figure,
presumably the spirit of the dead, and her glance is in his direction.
She does not appear to be dead, but apprehensive of the hovering
figure. It seems that Gauguin is remarking on the fragility of
human life, with this somber subject matter, ironically painted
lively and exotic colors. The lusciousness of the painting emotes
the beauty of life, with ever hovering death always present.
Here a young woman, full of sexuality and potential to make life,
lies next to 'Mr. Death.' In the tropics it may have been a
frequent occurrence to see disease and accidents kill even the
young. Gauguin was ill himself during this time in Tahiti and
he contemplated death in this and other paintings.
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