Paul Gauguin’s “Woman Holding a Fruit” Captures the Exoticism and Mystique of the Tropics

Celebrating art’s unique power to promote understanding and progress across cultures, Sotheby’s and Citi Private Bank are partnering to present 5 episodes of Most Famous Artworks. Paul Gauguin’s Eü haere ia oe (Woman Holding a Fruit) — the enigmatic Maori title translates as “Where are you going?” — was painted in 1893 and offers a verdant vision of an idealized South Seas maiden along with an examination of the colonial judgment under which she falls. It’s housed in Russia’s State Hermitage Museum, and has highlighted their permanent collection since 1948.