Activity #10

The medium - liquid that holds the pigments together without dissolving them - in both works selected by Paul Gauguin is oil. Both works The Bathers and Fantata te Miti (By the Sea) also use canvas as a support to hold the medium. In Fantata te Miti (By the Sea) the paint is heavy and thick. There are no empty spaces of canvas and the thick and loaded (full of paint) yet hidden brush strokes allow the design to express the landscape literally while emphasizing the activity of the three figures. In The Bathers the consistencies of oil is more varied – the trees are formed using heavy, thick, and hidden strokes while the flowers and soil have thin coats (layered or an impasto technique) is used with more apparent brush strokes. This composition is able to grasp the more subtle hues and pastels as the figures participate in an almost ritualistic custom of bathing. The texture of this design is a necessity in conveying the movement of the water, the lush landscape, and the serenity of the figures. It is possible that Paul Gauguin used canvas because of its ability to be transported more freely in comparison to wood - as the two selected works were completed while he was in Haiti however he made numerous visits to Paris to showcase his works.