Day of the God by Paul Gauguin (Interpretation and Analysis)

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Day of the God by Paul Gauguin
Day of the God
Source: Art Institute of Chicago
Today, I want to revisit the work of Paul Gauguin. As I explained yesterday, Gauguin was a Post-Impressionist French painter who was inspired by Romanticism. His most famous work comes from his trips to Tahiti, including the painting we’re talking about today: Day of the God.

Like Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, Day of the God is an allegorical painting. According to The Art Institute of Chicago, the three figures in the middle ground represent birth, life, and death, while the water in the foreground represents life itself. In the background, Tahitians perform a ritual near a sculptured figure that seems to represent what is beyond these three stages: the metaphysical realm. I read the painting as a psychological landscape. Here, Gauguin portrays spiritual reality. The piece is an attempt to use art to access a higher state of being.

Aside from the symbolism, Gauguin’s use of color in Day of the God is truly remarkable. Although his work is generally characterized by bold, bright, colors, Day of the God is among the best examples of this element of his work. The use of red, yellow, orange, and green to construct the water in the foreground adds to the otherworldly, ethereal atmosphere of the painting.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.

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