2021-09-22 Wed

French Polynesia post honored the monumental painting of Paul Gauguin titled Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?

The painting was created in Tahiti during a time of the artist's great personal crisis, struggling to find recognition and success in Paris. The painting, which should be viewed from right to left, represents the spectrum of human activity throughout one’s life, from birth to death.

It contains numerous humans, animals, and symbolic figures arranged across an island landscape. The sea and Tahiti’s volcanic mountains are visible in the background. It is Paul Gauguin’s largest painting, and he understood it to be his finest work.

Image Courtesy: colnect.com