The artwork “Three Tahitians” by Paul Gauguin, created in 1899, is an oil on canvas that represents a scene from Punaauia, French Polynesia. This piece, measuring 73 by 94 centimeters, is exemplary of the Post-Impressionist movement and falls within the portrait genre. The artwork is part of the collection at the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
In this artwork, the artist presents three figures adorned in traditional Tahitian attire. The composition is dominated by two women and a man, positioned in the central foreground. The woman on the left is dressed in a vibrant red garment and holds a green fruit, her gaze directed toward the viewer with a nuanced expression. Her body is turned partially towards the man in the center, who is shown from behind, his brown skin contrasting with the vivid colors around him. The third figure, a woman on the right, is captured in a profile view. She is clad in white with a hint of blue and holds a floral arrangement close to her shoulder, her attention directed outward from the canvas. The background suggests an idyllic tropical setting with bold, expressive brushstrokes delineating the landscape, and the color palette is rich with warm yellows and purples, juxtaposed with the cooler tones of the greenery and sky.
