The Yellow Christ
Paul Gauguin1889Oil on canvas
Painted at Pont-Aven in Brittany, Gauguin's radical yellow Christ against an autumn landscape is a landmark of Symbolism. The flat, unmodeled forms and anti-naturalistic color directly anticipate Fauvism and Expressionism. The yellow was never meant to be realistic — it is spiritual.
Color Mood
Radically non-naturalistic. Yellow, red, and green in flat planes with no atmospheric perspective — Gauguin uses color as pure symbol. The yellow Christ is not sunlit, he is divinely illuminated from within.
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo
Primary Colors
The dominant colors that define the overall mood and atmosphere of the work.
Secondary Colors
Supporting colors that add depth, contrast, and visual interest.
Tertiary Colors
Accent and detail colors that complete the composition.
symbolismpost-impressionismyellowboldspiritualreligious