Paul Gauguin went halfway around the world to paint this picture. He left his home in France and moved to Tahiti, an island in the South Pacific. Notice the title in the lower left corner. It's written in the Tahitian language. Ia Orana Maria means Hail Mary. These words appear in the New Testament. They're the first words of the Archangel Gabriel, when he told the Virgin Mary she would bear a son. Paintings of Gabriel appearing to Mary have a long tradition in European art. So do paintings of Mary and baby Jesus, the Madonna and child.

Gauguin has reimagined these sacred figures as Tahitians. Mary and the baby Jesus are on the right. The yellow rings behind their heads are halos, like the ones in European paintings. On the ground at their feet, lie gifts of fruit. two women stand at a distance with their hands folded, a gesture of devotion. Look for a pair of yellow wings on the far left. Only partially visible, an angel hovers here, with flowing black hair like the others.