Autumn Landscape (Farm and pond) 1877

Paul Gauguin painted this oil on canvas entitled 'Autumn Landscape (Farm and pond)' sometime in the late 19th century. It’s a seemingly simple landscape, but beneath the surface, it reflects a period of immense social and artistic change. Gauguin, like many artists of his time, sought to break away from academic traditions, searching for authenticity in rural and so-called 'primitive' settings. In this context, the landscape isn't just a scene, but a site loaded with the longing for an escape from industrialized, urban life. Gauguin develops an alternative narrative by painting from personal experience; his own feelings of alienation, reflecting the period of immense social and artistic change. What does it mean to turn your back on the world? What do you lose, and what do you find? Consider how Gauguin's vision shapes our understanding of nature and culture, inviting us to reflect on our own relationship with the world around us.