La Maison Du Pendu c. 1889 - 1890

Paul Gauguin rendered "La Maison Du Pendu" with oil paint, presenting us with a study in form and color that is deceptively simple. The house, boxy and upright, dominates the composition through its sheer mass, and the blue roof is set against the warm, earthy tones. Gauguin's approach to depicting space challenges traditional perspective. The ground seems to tilt upwards, bringing the viewer into the scene, while flattening the pictorial space. This manipulation of perspective echoes the Post-Impressionist’s broader move away from naturalism. The visible brushstrokes remind us of the canvas's materiality and the artist's hand. It’s tempting to see the house as a symbol, perhaps of shelter or the artist's own search for a refuge from the industrialized world, but such interpretations should acknowledge the painting's formal elements first. This formal approach allows us to see "La Maison Du Pendu" not just as a depiction of a building, but as an arrangement of forms that invites contemplation and challenges our visual expectations.