What? Are You Jealous?

The painting evokes a sense of Pacific paradise in which sexual relations are playful and harmless. According to Professor Peter Toohey, “this jealousy is not the product of a threat to an exclusive sexual relationship or jilted love affair – it is the result of one of the sisters having enjoyed more sex than the other the night before”.

So says Professor Toohey.  Gauguin.org counters:

Despite the title, there seems to be no rivalry between the two women, who are not talking. Rather, the question might be directed at those who would see the painting in the future and might envy Gauguin and his models their tropical dolce far niente.

We’ve discussed the incredible titles of Gauguin paintings before.

Over at Paul-Gauguin.net, you can view his works according to some ranking of popularity.

Last place:

Breton Village Under Snow.

First:

Here in LA, at LACMA, we have:

And a few others, none of them currently on view:

How about a wood carving?:

“Be in love and you will be happy.”

Gauguin’s ankle was injured in a fight in 1894.  This is sometimes referred to as “a drunken brawl,” or “a brawl with sailors,” but in this book

we’re told that

on an outing to Concarneau, he and Anna and a couple of friends got into a squabble with some children

(we’ve all been there, you’re at the beach and you get in a fight with some children).

Local sailors came to the youngsters’ assistance, and in the ensuing brawl, Gauguin broke his ankle.

Anna by the way was not Gauguin’s wife and mother of his kids, but his mistress, seen here:

who would dance with a little monkey for society gentlemen

Gauguin: what a piece of work!

Self Portrait with Halo and Snake