Landscape with two breton women 1889

Paul Gauguin painted "Landscape with Two Breton Women" using oil on canvas. Immediately, we notice the painting's structure, built on bold colour contrasts and flattened perspective which departs from traditional landscape painting. Gauguin uses colour to evoke feeling, not to mimic reality. Observe the broad areas of green and the shocking use of red to define the landscape. The figures of the women, rendered in simplified forms, blend into this scheme, becoming part of the overall surface design rather than standing apart as individuals. This technique, known as synthetism, reduces forms to their essential shapes and colours. In this light, the painting can be interpreted as a move towards abstraction, where the subject becomes less important than the interplay of colour and form. Gauguin sought to express inner visions rather than external appearances, challenging viewers to reconsider the purpose and possibilities of painting. It invites us to value the emotional and expressive power of form.