Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? by Paul Gauguin (Interpretation and Analysis)

Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?
Source: Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Paul Gauguin was a racist, misogynist, extremely ethnocentric, and, all around, a terrible person. However, he was one of the most talented artists of his time, and I really do love his work. If you want to read more about why Gauguin is problematic, I wrote about it here.

Although Gauguin is not considered an artist of the Romantic movement, his work certainly embodies many of the ideas of Romanticism. Romanticism was the “back to nature” movement of its time. It was a reaction against industrialization and the idea that everything in the world could be explained by science and rational thought. Instead, Romantics sought to find meaning in nature and in spiritual experiences. Gauguin was also one of the many Europeans in the 19th and early 20th centuries who became fascinated with the idea of the exotic. This craze can best be compared with the prevalence and problems of cultural appropriation in the modern age. Colonization gave Europeans access to art and other cultural artifacts from all around the world. Although they were eager to collect and display these items, they did not show the same respect or consideration for the people and cultures that produced them.

Aside from being one of Gauguin’s most famous paintings, Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? As the title suggests, it is an allegorical work, painted during the artist’s time in Tahiti. Gauguin, who was French, left his home country and family in an attempt to live a more genuine life, as he explains below.

All the joys — animal and human — of a free life are mine. I have escaped everything that is artificial, conventional, customary. I am entering into truth, into nature. Having the certitude of a succession of days like this present one, equally free and beautiful, peace descends on me. I develop normally and no longer occupy myself with useless vanities. - Paul Gauguin, Noa Noa

In true Romantic fashion, Gauguin rejected the trappings of modern, Western life in favor of exploring his spiritual and philosophical reality. In its title, Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? asks the questions that Romanticism — at its core — seeks to answer, exploring the fundamental nature of the human condition and delving into topics that science cannot explain.

The painting itself is monumentally huge (I had the chance to see it at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston). It presents an ethereal landscape that is almost reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, with the figures seeming to represent the simplicity of the idealized life embodied by Adam and Eve. Based on my research (there is a wonderful essay here about the painting), the central figure — who is picking fruit — seems to be universally accepted as the What are We? part of the painting. The fruit could be an illusion to the fruit of good and evil or the fruity of knowledge (depending on your reading of Genesis), suggesting that the purpose of life is gaining this knowledge and grappling with its consequences. Gauguin himself explained that the blue figure in the background represents the beyond, providing an answer to the unknowable question, Where Are We Going?

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.