Noa Noa (The Tahitian Journal)

In 1891, French painter Paul Gauguin sailed to the island of Tahiti, to what he hoped would be an unspoiled paradise. 

He kept a journal chronicling his thoughts and impressions of that time. 

Noa Noa—the most widely known of Gauguin's writings—is reproduced here from a rare early edition capturing the artist's unpretentious style. 

The journal is captivating reading, offering a compelling fragment of the soul of a genius. 

Page after page reveals Gauguin's keen observations of Tahiti and its people, and his passionate struggle to achieve the inner harmony he expressed so profoundly on canvas. 

Gauguin's prose is as seductive as his paintings, filled with descriptions of warm seas, hidden lagoons, lush green forests, and beautiful Maori women.

Today the manuscript provides unparalleled insight into Gauguin's thoughts as he strove to achieve spiritual peace, and into the wellsprings of a singular artistic style that changed the course of modern art. 


PAUL GAUGUIN (1848–1903) was a French post-impressionist painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, recognized for his experimental use of color and a distinctly unique style. His work proved influential to many modern artists, including Picasso and Matisse.