Where Do We Come From What Are We Doing Where Are We Going (1897)

This painting addressed Paul's vast imagination of the creation of man, and his origin, considered to be his most famous piece, it was painted in 1897 and 1898, one of his later pieces. All of the figures are Tahitian, after he moved there in search of a more cultured, less privileged society. It was on of his introspective paintings he considered "to be his masterpiece and the summation of his ideas." The work is meant to be read from the Left to the Right like text, ending with the baby at the far right signifying new born life. The black figure of unknown gender facing away, is interpreted to be mans first queries of sex. The two apple eating figures, male and female, are thought to be a representation of Adam and Eve.

Vision After the Sermon (1888)

Originally a gift to a local church, in Nizon, but the church would not accept it. Gauguin carried the woman featured in the Breton Women over to Vision After the Sermon, and Paul had refined his Cloisonissm style which he had imported from his friend and painter Emile Bernard. The questionable meaning of the painting was the reason for the church's disapprovals and Paul's not so loyal history. Paul believed the simplistic geometries better interpreted emotions, rather than complex more realistic representations. Giving way to many influences beyond Modernism, into Cubism and Orphism.

Le Christ jaune 1889 (The Yellow Christ)

Considered to be a extremely important Cloisonnism painting, a post-impressionist style marked by bold & flat forms separated by dark contours, is significant for its use of simplistic color and perspective. The thick lines separating the forms and colors, this along with the lack of gradients of color or tones gives the painting its post-renaissance style. This was also represented by the flat forms, and the lack of traditional linear perspective. Modernism is considered to have derived from this style, most notably from this painting.

Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin: (7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903)

Paul Gauguin, born in Paris, France to Clovis Gauguin and half-Peruvian mother Aline Maria Chazal. The domestic affairs of France drove Paul and his family to his mothers native Peru, in Lima Paul's influences flourished. Eventually Paul moved back to France, Orleans specifically where he joined the military to fulfill his mandatory service, after returning to Paris he took a job in the financial trading industry. In 1873 he married Mette Sophie Gad, with whom he had 5 children over the following decade.

Through his acquaintance with Camille Pissaro in the early 1880's, Paul painted with Paul Cezanne and had since quit his stock trading to paint full-time. Through earlier influences by Cezanne and a distaste for modern Impressionist art, Gauguin took on the style of Post-Impressionism. His friend Vincent van Gogh, whom he met in 1888 helped give way to his style, one that he felt had much needed symbolism. In 1903 Paul was sentenced to three months jail time and a fine, by the church and state, he died of syphilis before the sentence began.