Le Cheval Blanc

Paul Gauguin

Gauguin roamed through Tahiti, exploring the wild countryside and mountainous regions of the country. He was enchanted by an abundant natural beauty that seemed missing form his life in France and studied the flora and fauna obsessively. Yet this painting is a synthetic vision, an idealised and manufactured version of the landscape borne out of his imagination. He presents the landscape as a paradise; a white horse, tinged green by the plant life its sheen reflects, drinks from the river while two nude figures ride off in the distance. In Tahiti, Gauguin saw a sort of Eden and the two nude figures in the background, a part of nature rather than separate from it, can be understood as Adam and Eve. Now considered one of his masterpieces, the Tahitian pharmacist who commissioned the work rejected it on the basis that the horse was two green.

Friday 24th July

The Moon moves through the constellation of Scorpio today, bringing an atmosphere of depth, transformation and renewal. Scorpio invites us to look beneath the surface and notice what may be changing, dissolving or preparing to take a new form. However, the Moon’s opposition to Uranus can create tension between our need for emotional security and our desire for sudden freedom or change. Unexpected feelings, disruptions or shifts in direction may arise, making this a less favourable day for carrying out important work in the garden. Rather than forcing activity, today is better suited to observing, reflecting and sitting quietly with the garden.