Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?

Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?

• A. Paul Gauguin
• B. Henri Matisse
• C. Vincent van Gogh
• D. Pablo Picasso

Answer: (A)

This question tests recognizing the artist behind a famous Symbolist work that uses Tahitian imagery and a flat, decorative style to explore life, existence, and mortality. The painting Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? was created by Paul Gauguin in the late 1890s during his Tahitian period. Gauguin moved away from naturalistic rendering toward simplified forms and bold areas of color to convey ideas and emotions, a hallmark of his post-Impressionist and Symbolist approach. The other artists listed are associated with different movements and styles—Matisse with Fauvism, Van Gogh with expressive brushwork, Picasso with Cubism—so they did not create this work.

This question tests recognizing the artist behind a famous Symbolist work that uses Tahitian imagery and a flat, decorative style to explore life, existence, and mortality. The painting Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? was created by Paul Gauguin in the late 1890s during his Tahitian period. Gauguin moved away from naturalistic rendering toward simplified forms and bold areas of color to convey ideas and emotions, a hallmark of his post-Impressionist and Symbolist approach. The other artists listed are associated with different movements and styles—Matisse with Fauvism, Van Gogh with expressive brushwork, Picasso with Cubism—so they did not create this work.