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The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first public collection in the country to acquire a major painting by Paul Gauguin, purchasing The Blue Roof or Farm at Le Pouldu (1890) for $6.5 million. This important work from Gauguin’s Brittany period was obtained from an international private collector, who had previously bought it through Christie’s for $5.3 million in 2000. Prior to this, the painting was part of the collection of Wendy and Emery Reves, who lived in a villa on the French Riviera once owned by Coco Chanel. The Blue Roof has been displayed at the NGA since the opening of its major exhibition, "Gauguin’s World: Tōna Iho, Tōna Ao," curated by former Louvre director Henri Loyrette. This exhibition, running until October 6, features discussions on Gauguin’s legacy by Polynesian scholars and Loyrette. Miriama Bono, former director of the Musée de Tahiti et des Îles, addressed Gauguin's complex impact on Polynesia, noting contemporary Polynesian artists' engagement with his controversial legacy. Following the exhibition, the NGA’s new acquisition will its permanent collection, allowing Australian audiences to enjoy and appreciate Gauguin’s work for generations to come.
Paul Gauguin, A blue roof (Farm in Pouldu), 1890.
Selena Mattei 
