Faa Iheihe (Tahitian pastoral) 1898

Paul Gauguin made 'Faa Iheihe' in the late 19th century using oil paint on canvas. Gauguin uses these materials in an unconventional way, flattening space, and exaggerating colors. The work is suffused with the light and textures of Tahiti, but it’s really Gauguin’s imagination that is at play here. He didn't attempt to copy Tahitian life; he re-interpreted it. Gauguin had the means to travel and live abroad, while also being able to secure the materials to produce his work. He did this through a financial inheritance and the commercial art market back in Europe, which he relied on for sustenance. The finished painting became a commodity in a global economy, even as it romanticized the idea of a life lived outside that economy. Perhaps it is worth pondering how 'Faa Iheihe' challenges conventional distinctions between fine art and craft.