"Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" by Paul Gauguin — History, Analysis & Where to See It

Gauguin's Existential Masterpiece

Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? is the largest and most ambitious painting by Paul Gauguin, created during a period of profound personal crisis in Tahiti. Measuring nearly 3.75 meters wide, this monumental canvas is a sweeping meditation on the cycle of human life — from birth to death — rendered in the rich, saturated palette and flattened forms that define Post-Impressionism.

Gauguin considered this painting his ultimate artistic testament. He claimed to have worked on it in a feverish burst of energy in December 1897, intending it to be his final work before a planned suicide attempt. Whether or not the dramatic backstory is entirely true, the painting stands as one of the most philosophically ambitious canvases in Western art, posing the three fundamental questions of human existence directly in its title.

The Story Behind the Painting

By 1897, Gauguin was living in Tahiti in deteriorating health and deep financial distress. He had left France permanently in 1895, seeking an escape from European civilization and what he perceived as its spiritual emptiness. News of the death of his favorite daughter Aline in April 1897 plunged him into despair, and he resolved to create one final masterwork before ending his life.

Gauguin later wrote that he painted the enormous canvas in about a month, working “day and night in a kind of frenzy.” He deliberately chose not to make preparatory sketches, instead painting directly onto the coarse jute canvas in a spontaneous, almost visionary manner. The composition reads from right to left — an intentional reversal of Western reading direction — tracing human life from infancy through maturity to old age and death.

After completing the painting, Gauguin reportedly attempted suicide by ingesting arsenic but survived. He then shipped the canvas to his dealer Ambroise Vollard in Paris, where it was exhibited in 1898. The painting received mixed reviews: some critics praised its ambition and symbolic depth, while others found it inscrutable. Gauguin himself declared it superior to all his previous work.

The painting changed hands several times before being acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 1936, where it has remained one of the collection's most celebrated works. It is now recognized as the crowning achievement of Gauguin's Tahitian period and a landmark of Post-Impressionist painting.

Artistic Analysis: Technique & Style

Monumental Frieze Composition

The painting is structured as a continuous frieze, reminiscent of ancient Egyptian or Buddhist temple reliefs. Reading from right to left, a sleeping infant represents birth, central standing figures represent the prime of life, and a crouching old woman at the far left symbolizes approaching death. This panoramic format was unprecedented in Gauguin's work and gives the canvas an almost mural-like grandeur.

Symbolic Color Palette

Gauguin employed deep blues, greens, and golden ochres to create a dreamlike tropical atmosphere. The dominant blue tones in the background and upper corners evoke both the Tahitian landscape and a sense of metaphysical mystery. The warm golden tones of the figures' skin contrast with the cool surroundings, drawing the viewer's attention to the human forms and their symbolic gestures.

Cloisonnism and Flat Forms

True to his Synthetist approach, Gauguin outlined many forms with dark contours and filled them with relatively flat areas of color, a technique known as cloisonnism. This deliberate rejection of Impressionist naturalism gives the painting an iconic, almost decorative quality that reinforces its function as a philosophical allegory rather than a realistic scene.

Syncretic Symbolism

The painting blends Polynesian, Buddhist, and Christian imagery into a unique symbolic language. The mysterious blue idol in the background is based on Polynesian religious figures, while the pose of the central figure echoes both Christ and the Buddha. A white bird with a lizard in its claws alludes to the futility of words and reason. Gauguin intentionally left the symbolism open to interpretation, refusing to provide a definitive reading.

Where to See This Painting

This painting is permanently displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), in the Art of Europe gallery. The MFA is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the United States, and this canvas is among its most prized possessions.

The MFA is open Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesdays). General admission is $27 for adults, with free entry for visitors under 17 and reduced rates on Wednesday evenings. The painting's large size makes it best appreciated from a few meters back, allowing the full sweep of the composition to unfold.

If you use ArtScan at the MFA, you can identify this painting and every other artwork you encounter — getting instant artist information, historical context, and details about the techniques used, all in your preferred language.

Fun Facts

• It was meant to be a suicide note. Gauguin intended this painting as his final artistic statement before taking his own life. He survived his suicide attempt and lived until 1903.
• It is painted on coarse jute. Unable to afford fine canvas in Tahiti, Gauguin painted on rough jute sacking, which gives the surface a distinctive texture visible up close.
• The title is inscribed on the canvas. Gauguin painted the three questions in French in the upper-left corner in gold lettering, treating the title as an integral part of the composition.
• He worked without preparatory sketches. Gauguin claimed he painted the entire 3.75-meter canvas without any preliminary drawings, working in a sustained creative frenzy over about one month.
• It was rolled up for shipping. To transport the massive canvas from Tahiti to Paris, Gauguin had to roll it up and ship it by boat — a journey of several months that remarkably caused no significant damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is "Where Do We Come From?" located?

The painting is displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in the United States. It has been in the museum's collection since 1936.

What does the painting mean?

The painting is an allegory of the human life cycle. Reading from right to left, it progresses from birth (a sleeping baby) through youth and maturity (the central standing figures) to old age and death (the crouching woman at left). The blue idol and various animals add layers of spiritual and philosophical symbolism that Gauguin deliberately left open to interpretation.

Why did Gauguin paint it?

Gauguin created the painting during a period of severe depression following the death of his daughter and worsening health. He intended it as his artistic testament — a final, monumental statement on the meaning of human existence before a planned suicide attempt.

How big is the painting?

The painting measures 139.1 × 374.6 cm (approximately 4.5 × 12.3 feet), making it by far the largest canvas Gauguin ever painted. Its frieze-like format gives it the presence of a mural.

What style is the painting?

The painting is a key work of Post-Impressionism, specifically Gauguin's Synthetist style, which combines flat areas of color, dark outlines, and symbolic imagery drawn from multiple cultural traditions.

Why does the composition read right to left?

Gauguin deliberately reversed the Western left-to-right reading direction. The life cycle begins at the right with a newborn baby and ends at the left with an elderly woman approaching death, creating a counter-intuitive flow that encourages contemplative, non-linear viewing.