The Tūpāpaʻu, the Spirits That Gauguin Painted
In Tahiti, people kept a lamp burning at night to keep away the spirits of the dead. In 1892, the painter Paul Gauguin painted one watching a frightened young woman.
What was reported
In traditional Tahitian belief, the tūpāpaʻu are spirits of the dead, who wander at night and can appear as glowing lights, shadowy figures or people. Many Tahitians would not sleep in the dark for fear of them, keeping a lamp lit through the night.
In 1892, the French painter Paul Gauguin, living in Tahiti, painted Manaò tupapaú, 'Spirit of the Dead Watching', showing a young woman lying in fear on a bed while a dark, hooded figure sits behind her. He wrote that she had been terrified of the spirits when he came home late and found her in the dark.
Explanations offered
The tūpāpaʻu are part of traditional Polynesian beliefs about the dead, which continue alongside Christianity. Gauguin's painting is famous, though today it's also criticised for how European artists portrayed Polynesian women.
- When
- Painted in 1892
- Where
- Tahiti, French Polynesia
- Witnesses
- Tahitian tradition and a famous painting
- Status
- Folklore
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.