Hut under the coconut palms 1894

Paul Gauguin created 'Hut under the coconut palms' using watercolors, a portable and immediate medium, allowing for quick impressions of his surroundings. The fluid nature of watercolor lends itself well to capturing the tropical atmosphere. Gauguin's choice of watercolor, rather than oil paint, speaks to a desire for spontaneity, a sense of capturing a fleeting moment. The way the colors blend and bleed into one another evokes the humidity and lushness of the landscape, a visual shorthand for the experience of being there. The paper support itself becomes part of the image, its texture subtly influencing the final result. Gauguin’s technique reflects an engagement with a different set of values, prioritizing direct experience and emotional expression over the more labored, academic traditions of painting. By embracing the immediacy of the medium, Gauguin collapses the distance between artist and subject, offering a glimpse into his personal encounter with the South Pacific. This fresh perspective challenges established notions of fine art, instead valuing the sensory and the subjective.