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Gauguin spent most of the last twelve years of his life in Tahiti , where he felt he had found that simple and natural life which he required. This painting from his second period would seem to be somehow linked with the islanders' religious beliefs. The habits, customs and beliefs of the Tahitians retained their link with nature, and in their life everything living was subjugated to a single, eternal rhythm.
Rejecting traditional means of depiction, Gauguin created his own individual style to capture the images of an exotic world. The dark colouring gives this work a sense of enigma. Oceania's untouched landscape and wildlife was an inspiration to the artist and became for him the embodiment of the promised land.