Femmes de Tahiti or Sur la Plage is an oil painting by Paul Gauguin created in 1891 during his early period in Tahiti. The painting features two Tahitian women on a beach, and it is part of Gauguin’s attempt to find a primitive paradise in Tahiti. His art perpetuated the idea of an exotic landscape and a submissive culture, and Gauguin attempted to immerse himself in authentic aspects of the culture by employing Tahitian titles.
Gauguin created a synthetic nature that was formed from pure colors and pictorial symbolism. The painting measures 69 x 91.5 cm and is held at Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Femmes de Tahiti, or Sur la Plage, was one of Gauguin’s first works during his Tahitian experience, and his romantic image of Tahiti was derived from Pierre Loti’s novel Le Mariage de Loti.
The artwork has also perpetuated myths about Tahiti, including enticing women and a submissive culture, which have shaped tourist expectations. Femmes de Tahiti or Sur la Plage continues to serve as a representation of Gauguin’s Tahitian period and his search for a primitive paradise.
