Mata Mua is one of Paul Gauguin’s most celebrated and poetic works, painted during his Tahitian period, when the artist sought a deep connection with a purer, ancestral way of life. The painting depicts an idealised scene of Polynesian daily life: women seated or standing, immersed in a lush landscape dominated by warm colours and vibrant harmonies. In the centre, a group of figures seems to be engaged in a musical or dance ritual, evoking a sense of spirituality and community.
In the background, a carved deity and a flowering tree reinforce the sacred, timeless character of the image. Gauguin uses flat colours, bold outlines and symbolic compositions to suggest a lost world, unspoilt and rich in hidden meanings. Mata Mua is not merely an ethnographic depiction, but a nostalgic hymn to a primitive and harmonious humanity which the artist perceived as threatened by Western progress.
Unique quality material
Print on handmade Amalfi paper Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in) With frame: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in) Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges Frame: light brown beech wood and wood pulp, handmade
How an Amalfi art print is made, what the frame is like, what museum glass is, how long shipping takes, and how returns work: we’ve gathered all the answers on a single page.
