Burdened by a lack of business and physical isolation in the French colony, Paul Gauguin expresses his frustration towards European imperialism by contrasting native Tahiti with the “proper” civilization of France. In his painting Mahana no atua, translated as The Day of God, Gauguin remarks on practicing non-Christian faiths by depicting a series of scenes from a Tahitian ritual. The high-flying colors and grandiose juxtaposition of scenes creates a jig-saw pattern of nature and religion to contrast the primitively- structured forms of the Tahitians. Three nude Tahitian women recline at the forefront of the painting, acting as the only barrier that exists between the viewer and the omniscient Polynesian statue. The background shapes the painting, pushing movement towards the ritual by acting as a wall that stops the viewer’s sight from regressing too far into the surrounding landscape.

Stylistically, Gauguin creates the religious idol, the central protagonist of Mahana no atua, to symbolize all Eastern religions. However, the true blend of cultures that compose the central idol get lost in translation. The statue bares too much resemblance to the Polynesian god Hina for it to represent other Vedic and Asian cultures. Furthermore, the painting’s seemingly antiquated subject matter disrespects the sanctity of the Tahitian idol, portraying the religion as anti-Christian and uncivilized instead of in a positive light.

The figures in the foreground overshadow the more-relevant characters in the background. The distanced characters are fully clothed and are caught preparing for a prayer-like ritual. Along the pale yellow shoreline leading away from the idol, a boat, cabin and a horse-like animal allude to more advanced and cultured behavior. However, a cursory look at the painting will only allow the viewer to embrace the antiquated and uncensored behavior of the nude forms in the foreground. The audience will immediately associate the Polynesian practices with savagery.

Multicolored water creates a kaleidoscope-esque pattern that pushes perspective towards the awkwardly placed figures relaxing in different positions on the beach’s shore. The disproportionate form of the provocative woman in the foreground, pictured as combing her hair and dipping her feet into the ocean’s radiant water, coupled with the ominous idol, creates a vertical divide between the endlessly retreating shore and water, pushing perspective closer to the blotched cloud-filled sky. Gauguin’s use of flagrant colors only taints the religious message that the painter tries to convey. The subdued white hues pose no match for the gaudy, tropical landscape. In comparison to Gauguin’s other paintings, Mahana no atua does more to displace native culture rather than sanctify it.