Description of the painting "Happiness" by Paul Gauguin “Happiness” was painted by Paul Gauguin in 1892. It’s an oil on canvas and we can contemplate it in the Orsay Museum in Paris. He painted it during his first trip to Tahiti, where he went looking for a primitive way of life, and that is what this painting shows. In the foreground we can see a big red dog and two seated women wearing typical Tahitian dresses. One of them is playing the flute and the other one is listening carefully while staring to the viewer. Behind them there is a tree and a river, which separates those women from three others, who are worshiping an idol in the background. I would say that the “happiness” of the title comes from the subject, of course, but also from the masterful choice of colour by Gauguin. He uses specific colours with great skill (especially warm ones like red, yellow and orange) to provide the image a joyful environment. To sum up, this is a striking painting, really expressive, and it definitely doesn’t leave me cold. I’d love to have it in my living room because it’s colourful, optimistic and it makes me feel calm.