Hokusai’s Great Wave & Gauguin’s Tahitian Paintings
Hokusai — The Great Wave off Kanagawa
“The Great Wave off Kanagawa” is a famous Japanese ukiyo-e print created by Hokusai around 1831. The artwork depicts a dramatic and powerful moment: a giant wave threatens three fishing boats, while Mount Fuji appears calm and small in the distance, almost still compared to the overwhelming energy of the wave.
The image impresses with the contrast between movement and tranquility. The fishermen in their small boats seem doomed, yet they probably will not die. They row with great discipline.
Mount Fuji, sacred and immobile, appears distant and ethereal. The color choices are also significant: the Prussian blue of the wave and the shades of blue and white in the foam create depth and realism, while the lighter tones of Mount Fuji make it delicate and almost unreal.
Gauguin — Self‑Portrait with Halo and Snake (1889)
Self‑Portrait with Halo and Snake is an oil on wood painting created by Paul Gauguin in 1889.
At first glance, the composition surprises with its blend of sacred and profane elements, creating a symbolic self‑portrait that reflects the complex identity of the artist.
Gauguin’s head emerges with a golden halo above it, a traditional Christian symbol of holiness and spiritual light. Yet this sacred symbol is contrasted by the presence of a snake in his hand, a figure laden with multiple meanings: temptation, knowledge, and transformation.
Nearby hang red apples, another biblical reference to the Garden of Eden, temptation, and the Fall of Man. By combining these religious symbols, Gauguin suggests a conflict between virtue and vice. He does not portray himself simply as a saint or a sinner, but as a dual figure, both angelic and demonic, exploring his own moral and spiritual complexity.
In this self‑portrait, Gauguin goes beyond mere likeness and creates a philosophical and existential meditation, using religious, mythic, and biblical imagery to examine the interplay between purity and sin, between lofty ideals and human flaws.
Tahitian Women on the Beach
This painting shows two Tahitian women sitting on a sandy beach. The scene is calm but full of color and atmosphere. On the left, the woman is shown in profile. She has long black hair tied with a yellow ribbon, and her expression is serene. She is wearing a light-colored top and a red pareo decorated with flowers, which adds brightness and contrast to her figure. On the right, the second woman is facing the viewer directly. Her long dark hair falls over her shoulders, and she wears a yellow and blue sarong that creates a striking contrast with the sand.
In the foreground, there are two fruits and a small flower lying on the sand, placed carefully between the women. These objects add detail and create a connection with nature. In the background, a green tree rises above the beach, and the dark blue sea stretches toward the horizon. The sky is calm, and the light seems soft, giving the painting a peaceful and slightly melancholic feeling.
The colors are bright and vivid, and the shapes are stylized rather than realistic, emphasizing emotion and atmosphere over precise details. The composition balances the two women, the objects in the foreground, and the natural elements in the background, creating a harmonious and expressive scene.