Interpretive Resource

Ancestors of Tehamana, 1893
Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)
Oil on canvas, 30 1/8 x 21 3/8 in. (76.3 x 54.3 cm)

Discussion
Paul Gauguin made this fascinating painting of a young girl while he lived in Tahiti. Gauguin was interested in creating mystery through his paintings. Are the figures in this painting lifelike or dreamlike? What does the title mean? (Ancestors of Tehamana refers to the sitter’s belief that she was descended from the goddess Hina, depicted in the background on the left.) Where is the tip of Tehamana’s fan pointing and in what direction are her eyes looking? (They are pointing to Hina, and therefore to her ancestry and heritage.) Look at the right arm of the background figure. It looks as if she is patting the arm of Tehamana, suggesting that their lives are concurrent. Compare Tehamana and Hina. How are they the same? (They both face front.) How are they different? (Look at their clothing and expressions.)

Is there much depth to this painting? What do you think Gauguin’s purpose is in flattening the objects and background? (He suggests that the past and the present coexist.) The writing at the top is Gauguin’s version of ancient Polynesian writing. What message do you think Gauguin is trying to convey by lining up Tehamana’s head with the line of script? (She believes in the ideas conveyed in the ancient writing.)

Activities
1. Gauguin was less interested in capturing a likeness of the sitter than in expressing his own emotions. What do you think his feelings are for Tehamana? How does he communicate them?

Express your feelings for someone in your life by creating a collage homage. An homage is a tribute or acknowledgment that honors a person or idea. Look through magazines and newspapers to find images and writings that can represent the person you chose. Include symbols that tell something about that person. For instance, If you choose a grandparent who was a musician, you might include images of the instrument, musical scores, and names of other musicians.

2. Gauguin often expressed the desire to clear his head of the influences of European civilization. In addition to his paintings, Gauguin wrote a novel that told of his Tahitian experience. The novel called Noa Noa (meaning 'very fragrant’) was partly factual and partly fictional. Write an essay about your own imaginary Tahitian adventures and paint a picture to accompany it.

3. Paul Gauguin was a person with mixed cultural ancestry and experiences. Describe what in this painting might be considered part of western culture (clothing is European missionary influence) and what would be considered "Tahitian" in origin (the background of the painting is influenced by indigenous Tahitian religious imagery). How does Gauguin integrate aspects of Tahitian and French culture?

Discuss past and present multicultural influences in your lives. Collect, display, and present objects, arts, and images from the different cultural heritage(s) represented in the class. These can include music, dance, instruments, recipes, spiritual beliefs, photographs of ancestors, recordings in other languages, and visual arts.