Matamoe: The Last Light

Paul Gauguin’s Landscape with Peacocks (1892), also known by its Tahitian title Matamoe, meaning “death” or “once upon a time,” captures a poignant moment of transition. Painted during his first Tahitian sojourn, the work melds vibrant tropical hues with symbolic imagery, a solitary figure, resplendent peacocks, and a distant hut evoking themes of mortality and the fading of old worlds. The painting’s layered brushwork and rich palette invite viewers into a meditative exploration of life’s impermanence. This masterpiece resides in the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow.