When Will You Marry? (Nafea Faa Ipoipo) – Paul Gauguin (1892)

Two women, two worlds, and a question. In the foreground, a young Tahitian woman in a pareo sits on the grass, a white tiare flower behind her ear. Just behind her, a second woman sits upright in a high-necked pink dress, the kind brought by the missionaries, raising her hand in a mysterious gesture. Around them, a meadow of yellow, green and blue rises towards the mountains.

Gauguin painted Nafea faa ipoipo?, “When will you marry?”, in 1892, during his first stay in Tahiti; the title is written at the bottom right of the canvas. The flower behind the ear has often been read as a sign that the young woman is looking for a husband. Between the traditional pareo and the colonial dress, the painting also stages the clash between old Tahiti and the Europe that was transforming it.

Why it works on your wall

• Bright and joyful: yellow, orange and pink for a living room, a dining room or a bedroom
• An icon of Gauguin: one of his most famous Tahitian paintings, instantly recognisable
• Framing tip: a natural wood or gold frame enhances the warmth of the meadow

The painting

Paul Gauguin (1848–1903), a key figure of Post-Impressionism, left Paris for Tahiti in 1891, seeking a simpler, “primitive” world. His bold colours and simplified forms had a lasting influence on modern art, from the Nabis to Matisse. When Will You Marry? spent nearly half a century on loan to the Kunstmuseum Basel and is now in a private collection.

• Artist: Paul Gauguin (1848–1903)
• Date: 1892
• Technique: oil on canvas
• Movement: Post-Impressionism, Synthetism
• Title: Nafea faa ipoipo?, Tahitian for “When will you marry?”

Your print

• Colours restored from a high-definition scan of the original
• Printed in Europe on thick archival matte paper, FSC certified
• From A4 to A0, plus 40×60, 50×70, 60×90 and 70×100 cm and 12×18 to 27×40 inch sizes, all made for standard frames
• Free shipping, no minimum order. Shipped rolled in a sturdy tube

Pair it with Gauguin’s Her Name Is Vairaumati or Three Tahitians, or explore our Paul Gauguin posters and living room wall art.