Te Arii Vahine – La Femme Aux Mangos 

Paul Gauguin created this evocative oil on canvas painting, Te Arii Vahine – La Femme Aux Mangos. The composition is defined by flattened perspective, with the foreground and background compressed into a single plane. Bold, arbitrary colours evoke a dreamlike realm. The heavy outlines and simplified forms create an almost sculptural feel. Gauguin's interest in Primitivism is evident in the way he abandons naturalistic representation in favour of expressive colour and simplified forms. The artist uses colour not to describe the scene but to evoke a sense of mood. Notice how Gauguin uses a semiotic system of signs to interpret the visual components of the artwork. The lack of clear distinction between foreground and background destabilizes traditional artistic conventions. Look at the rough brushstrokes that add texture and vitality to the surface of the canvas. Through these techniques, the artwork engages with new ways of thinking about perception and representation.