Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
near these homes and shot himself, having spent his life in poverty and artistic obscurity.
No sooner had he died than his work took wings.
• The next room (316), has a wonderful collection of...
Paul Gauguin
The Hermitage typically displays about a dozen paintings of the French Post-Impressionist
Paul Gauguin, who famously left his stockbroker job and family to paint full-time. Eventu-
ally he fulfilled his lifelong dream to live and work in the South Seas, especially Tahiti. He
spent much of his later life there, painting island life in all its bright color and simplicity.
Tahitian Pastorals
(1892): This work, from Gauguin's first stay in Tahiti, captures the
paradise Gauguin had always envisioned. He paints an island-dotted landscape peopled by
exotic women doing simple tasks and making music. A lounging dog dominates the fore-
ground. The style is intentionally “primitive,” collapsing 3-D landscapes into a two-dimen-
sional pattern of bright colors. In
Woman Holding a Fruit
(1893) a native girl enjoys the
simple pleasures of life in all her naked innocence.
• Continue straight across the bridge, peering down into a pastel-blue hall decorated with
a whipped-cream can. Don't miss the wonderful view over Palace Square from the win-
dows on your left. You'll head straight into rooms 343 and 344; the largest, most famous,
and most important canvas here is by...
