Farm in Brittany 1886

This is Paul Gauguin’s “Farm in Brittany.” Gauguin, a leading Post-Impressionist painter, created this landscape to express an emotional or spiritual state through color and form. In the late 19th century, Brittany was seen as a symbol of rural France, untouched by industrialization, yet it was also a region marked by economic hardship and cultural tension. Gauguin sought to capture the essence of this place, but through the lens of his own artistic and personal quest. Gauguin once said "I shut my eyes in order to see." He looked to the non-European world, especially the Pacific Islands, as an escape from Western materialism, which can be seen as a reflection of the complex interplay between his personal desires and the broader colonial narratives of his time. How does this artwork resonate with our own search for authenticity in an ever-changing world? How does it make you feel?