Gauguin French Polynesia Tahiti Women Paul Gauguin was a French post-impressionist painter, recognized for his paintings of French Polynesia and Tahiti life in the late 1800s. Gauguin was known for painting bold colors, a rugged modern-looking primitive painting style, and capturing life in his then modern-day French Polynesia. Gauguin also painted in Tahiti. Gauguin was a friend of Vincent Van Gogh, and was thought to have cut off Van Gogh's ear. This painting is called "What's New?" and was painted by Paul Gauguin in 1892 in French Polynesia. The Gauguin painting shows two girls sitting on a yellow mat, wearing colorful native dresses, one red and white, and the other dress in black and yellow stripes.