Description
Paul Gauguin – Spirit of the Dead Watching (Manao tupapau)
| Year of creation: | 1892 |
| Original size: | 92 cm x 72 cm |
| Painting style: | Symbolism |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Located: | Albright-Knox Gallery of Art, Buffalo, New York |
Oil on canvas Spirit of the Dead Watching (Manao tupapau) shows a Tahitian girl lying naked on her stomach. The girl is frightened by the presence of death in the form of a ghost. In the background of the painting, Gauguin painted the spirit of death embodied in the form of a harmless old woman dressed in black. According to island mythology, the title of this oil on canvas can be interpreted in two ways: a girl is thinking about a ghost, or a ghost is thinking about a girl. Strong, vague strokes of the brush and paint (yellow cover on the bed, blue robe, fluorescent green sparkles on the purple background) further emphasize the ominous atmosphere and mystery of this painting
