Arearea no varua ino

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Arearea no varua ino
The amusement of the evil spirit, Reclining Tahitian Women
Gauguin Arearea no varua ino.jpg
Artist Paul Gauguin
Year1894
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensions60 cm× 98 cm(24 in× 39 in)
Location Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen

Arearea no varua ino is an 1894 oil-on-canvas painting by Paul Gauguin, now in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen. [1]

Contents

The title Gauguin inscribed in the bottom left is Arearea no varua ino, a Tahitian language phrase which is variously translated to English as "the amusement of the evil spirit" [2] or "words of the Devil". [3] The painting is also sometimes given the descriptive title Reclining Tahitian Women.

Description

In the foreground, two Tahitian women in white shirts and blue long skirts are depicted reclining on a beach. One woman sits looking to the right with a serious expression while the other woman faces away, fully reclined with one hand holding her head, possibly washing her hair. In the left midground a statue of Hina [3] stands in the shade, facing the viewer and the women, and to the right of that is a floating blue mask which faces the statue. Two figures dance in the background. [2]

Context

Gauguin spent some years in Tahiti, but this painting was created during a two-year period where he lived in Paris. [3]

References

  1. ↑ "Catalogue entry".
  2. 1 2 "Audio Guide - Paul Gauguin: The Art of Invention". Saint Louis Art Museum . Archived from the original on 2023-08-03. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
  3. 1 2 3 Garlake, Esme (2023-06-01). "Paul Gauguin and the 'Other': June Pick of the Month". athena art foundation. Retrieved 2025-03-22.


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