<P> Gauguin indicated that the painting should be read from right to left, with the three major figure groups illustrating the questions posed in the title . The three women with a child represent the beginning of life; the middle group symbolizes the daily existence of young adulthood; and in the final group, according to the artist, "an old woman approaching death appears reconciled and resigned to her thoughts"; at her feet, "a strange white bird...represents the futility of words" or "the uselessness of vain words". The blue idol in the background apparently represents what Gauguin described as "the Beyond ." Of its entirety he said, "I believe that this canvas not only surpasses all my preceding ones, but that I shall never do anything better--or even like it ." </P> <P> The painting is an accentuation of Gauguin's trailblazing post-impressionistic style; his art stressed the vivid use of colors and thick brushstrokes, tenets of the impressionists (though the Impressionists focused on quick brushstrokes), while it aimed to convey an emotional or expressionistic strength . It emerged in conjunction with other avant - garde movements of the twentieth century, including cubism and fauvism . </P> <P> In 1898, Gauguin sent the painting to Georges - Daniel de Monfreid in Paris . Monfreid passed it to Ambroise Vollard along with eight other thematically related pictures shipped earlier . They went on view at Vollard's gallery from November to December 1898 . The exhibition was a success, although D'où Venons Nous? received mixed reviews . The critic Andre Fontainas of the Mercure de France acknowledged a grudging respect for the work but thought the allegory impenetrable were it not for the inscription, and compared the painting unfavourably to the murals of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes who had died recently . Vollard had already purchased the other works as a job lot from Monfreid for 1,000 francs (Gauguin was furious when he found out), but refrained from purchasing the larger monumental work and had difficulty selling it on . </P> <P> Charles Morice (fr) two years later tried to raise a public subscription to purchase the painting for the nation . To assist this endeavour, Gauguin wrote a detailed description of the work concluding with the messianic remark that he spoke in parables: "Seeing they see not, hearing they hear not". The subscription nevertheless failed . Vollard eventually sold the painting for 2,500 francs (about $10,000 in year 2000 US dollars) in 1901 to Gabriel Frizeau (fr), of which Vollard's commission was perhaps as much as 500 francs . </P>

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