We Shall Not Go to The Market Today

We Shall Not Go to The Market Today is an oil painting created by Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin in 1897. It depicts two Tahitian women standing in front of a hut in a tropical landscape. The woman on the left holds a basket of fruit, while the other gazes off into the distance with a wistful expression. The scene is rendered in colorful and decorative brushstrokes, with a vibrant and exotic feel.
Gauguin was a leading Post-Impressionist artist known for his experimental use of color and Synthetist style. He spent much of his later life in Tahiti, seeking an escape from civilization. His artworks during this period often depicted idyllic scenes of Tahitian life, conveying a sense of primitive paradise. We Shall Not Go to The Market Today highlights Gauguin’s ability to infuse a poetic quality of mystery, melancholy, and exoticism into an everyday scene.
The expressive brushstrokes, heightened colors, and decorative quality give the painting a striking intensity. The fruit, plants, and hut seem almost woven into a tapestry-like pattern. Yet the wistful and contemplative expressions of the women introduce a poignancy to the scene. Their colorful and voluminous garments are reminiscent of priestess-like robes, conveying a sense of ritual and spirituality. The painting combines elements of paradise and exoticism with a deep and unsettling quality.
Other famous works by Gauguin include The Spirit of the Dead Watching, Fatata te Miti, Breton Girls Dancing and Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? Gauguin sought to imbue his paintings with spiritual meaning, conveying themes of paradise lost, melancholy and existential questioning. We Shall Not Go to The Market Today epitomizes Gauguin’s ability to create a work rich in texture, color, and mystery that seems to hint at profound human questions.