“Annah the Javanese” is an artwork created by Paul Gauguin in 1893, utilizing oil on canvas as his medium. The piece is a notable example of the Cloisonnism movement, measuring 116 by 81 centimeters. This nude painting (nu) genre work is currently held in a private collection and is not on public display.
The artwork depicts a young woman standing in the foreground, notably devoid of clothing with her frontal body facing the viewer. She is positioned against a chair with a high back that frames her figure and sets off her dark hair and warm-toned skin. In her standing pose, she exhibits a direct and confident gaze at the viewer. Interestingly, Gauguin also includes a small, red, monkey-like figure seated beside her on a colorful, patterned cushion which adds a sense of the exotic to the composition. The background consists of muted and contrasting color fields, characteristic of Gauguin’s style, designed to flatten the space and emphasize the decorative aspects of the painting. The figure’s large, expressive eyes and the simplified forms accentuate the artist’s departure from realist representation, inviting contemplation on the relationship between the subject and her surroundings, as well as the cultural influences that impacted Gauguin’s work.
