Paul Gauguin fled what he called "filthy Europe" in 1891 to what he hoped would be an unspoiled paradise, Tahiti. He painted 66 magnificent can vases during the first two years he spent there and kept notes from which he later wrote Noa Noa — a journal recording 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 (1919), in a lucid translation capturing the artist's unpretentious style. 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.

The journal is captivating reading, offering a compelling autobiographical fragment of the soul of a genius and a rare glimpse of Oceanian culture. The brief periods of happiness Gauguin found among the Tahitians are eloquently expressed in his narrative. We understand the motives that drove him and gain a deeper appreciation of his art.

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 which changed the course of modern art. This wonderfully affordable edition — enhanced by 24 of Gauguin's South Seas drawings — makes a unique and passionate testament accessible to all art lover

保罗·高更（Paul Gauguin，1848—1903）

法国后印象派画家、雕塑家、陶艺家及版画家，现代艺术的奠基人之一，拥有个性高飚、感情挚烈的一生，以火一样的热情投身艺术并为此殉道。

高更在异域的原始之美中收获了灵感，他的画具有色彩艳丽、对比强烈、平面化的装饰性效果，与梵高、塞尚并称为后印象派三大巨匠，并且对现当代绘画的发展有着非常深远的影响。英国著名作家毛姆曾以高更为原型写过一部著名的小说《月亮与六便士》。