Nevermore

Paul Gauguin titled this painting after Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem, though he denied any direct connection. A nude Tahitian woman lies on a yellow bed, her expression apprehensive as a raven watches from a window and mysterious figures converse in the background.

The word "NEVERMORE" inscribed on the canvas suggests mortality and loss. Gauguin painted the work during a difficult period, struggling with illness and poverty in Tahiti. The woman's tense pose and watchful eye create an atmosphere of unease absent from his more serene compositions.

The painting resides at the Courtauld Gallery in London, part of their outstanding collection of Post-Impressionist works.