This remarkable portrait of a young man with a flower tucked behind his ear was the first painting Gauguin completed during his visit to Tahiti in 1891.
The young man in question is named “Jotefa” ( at least that is what Gauguin called him). They shared an intimate bond and explored the island together in search of wood to make a sculpture. During this stage of his life Gauguin was deeply immersed in the local culture and even wished to become Māori himself.
But the reason I admire this painting is for the simplicity of its composition. We see a three quarter profile of an earnest, handsome man, wearing a pink shirt and a blue cravat. Despite the flower and the color tones it’s a very masculine image, and wouldn’t be out of place in a contemporary issue of Vogue magazine.
The strong blue and the skin tones of the subject also announce several of the stylistic innovations that Gauguin would make during his time in Tahiti.
The painting was later owned by Matisse, who admired it greatly, and eventually purchased by Lillie P. Bliss, one of the founders of New York City’s Moma (museum of metropolitan art).
Hopefully this will be your first time seeing it, as I think it’s a lovely painting and one of Gauguin’s best.
Julian
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The people of Tahiti call themselves Maohi - not Māori - and are not, in fact, Māori.
I enjoy your sites very much, and appreciate that your choice of paintings are not the usual, more widely known art.