Willow by the Aven 1888

Paul Gauguin painted Willow by the Aven with oil on canvas, sometime in the late 19th century. At the time he made this painting, Gauguin was part of a community of artists in Pont-Aven, France, seeking to represent the inner life through the external world. Look at the serene but lively composition in the painting. Gauguin's use of color and form creates a sense of intimacy with nature. It is an emotional and sensory response, a departure from the objective representation of the natural world that had characterized much of Western painting up to that point. Gauguin's work stands as an attempt to move away from the industrialized world. He longed for a simpler, more authentic existence. In a way, Willow by the Aven reflects his search for an untouched paradise. It invites us to consider our own relationship with the natural world. How we find beauty and meaning in the landscapes that surround us.