Description
Disgusted with the materialism of European society, Gauguin abandoned his family and career as a stockbroker and departed for Tahiti in 1891. This canvas is among the first paintings he completed on the island. Its rich colors and stylized figures were intended to be both symbolic and mysterious, evoking private thoughts and emotions. “I obtain symphonies,” he wrote, “harmonies that represent nothing real in the absolute sense of the word.”
Provenance
(Reinhardt Gallery, New York, NY, 1927) (1927-1929); (Leicester Galleries, London, United Kingdom, 1929, sold to Mr. Frank H. Ginn) (1929); Mr. Frank H. Ginn [1868-1938], Gates Mills, OH, by descent to this daughter, Barbara Ginn (1929-); Mr. and Mrs. Frank Griesinger (Barabara Ginn), Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (1976); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1976-)
Accession Number
1975.263
Medium
oil on fabric
Dimensions
Framed: 92.4 x 112.7 x 6.4 cm (36 3/8 x 44 3/8 x 2 1/2 in.); Unframed: 74 x 92.8 cm (29 1/8 x 36 9/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Gift of Barbara Ginn Griesinger
Tags
Painting Impressionist & Modern (1851–1900) Oil Painting French
Background & Context
Background Story
The Large Tree from 1891 is one of Gauguin's last Breton paintings, executed in the year he departed for Tahiti. The painting depicts a large tree dominating the composition—a motif that Gauguin would return to repeatedly in his Tahitian paintings, where the tropical tree would become a vertical accent in compositions organized by flat planes of color. The 1891 date makes this a pivotal work: Gauguin's Breton period is ending, his Synthetist style is fully developed, and Tahiti is about to transform his subject matter if not his approach to color and composition.
Cultural Impact
The Large Tree is one of Gauguin's last Breton paintings and one of the most important works in the transition from his Breton period to his Tahitian period. The tree that dominates the composition becomes a recurring motif in the Tahitian paintings, and the simplified color and flat composition are already in place. The painting is a bridge between two periods—the Synthetist style fully developed in Brittany, ready to be applied to Tahitian subjects.
Why It Matters
The Large Tree is Gauguin's Breton period ending and Tahiti beginning: the tree motif that would dominate his South Pacific paintings, the Synthetist style fully developed and ready for new subjects. The 1891 date makes this a bridge between two worlds—Gauguin leaving Brittany for Tahiti with his style intact and his subject matter about to transform.
