Nevermore

Paul Gauguin painted Nevermore while living in Tahiti, an island in the southern Pacific colonised by France. Intended for a white European male audience, this image of a reclining nude belongs to a long artistic tradition. To the familiar theme however, Gauguin added a sense of exoticism and of unease. The young woman is not at rest but anxiously aware of the two figures behind her, who may be evil spirits. For modern viewers, her youth is the most disconcerting aspect.