In 1891, the artist moved to Tahiti, hoping to find new sources of inspiration. His best artworks would be created in this far-away land. Gauguin’s move to the untouched paradise of exotic islands was a means of escape from the ordinary world, from modern civilization. He wanted to surround his works with an aura of mystery and secret symbols.
Gauguin was astonished by the exotic beauty of the local landscapes. His diary with the poetic title “Noa Noa” (“Fragrant Land”) is full of his fascination with the new world opening up for him. Gauguin’s artistic style gained a special harmonious vibration while he was in Tahiti. The artist expressed his delight in the exotic nature, in this heaven on Earth, with bright, intense colors. He studied this world, new to Europeans, very closely — its nature, history, and culture. He believed that the main laws of existence could be discovered in “primitive art, " which is inextricably linked to nature.

Reality was far from the expectations. Illnesses and need made Gauguin return to Paris, where he encountered disillusionment. His Tahitian works were not appreciated by the public; a painting auction did not bring any significant income. After receiving a modest inheritance, Gauguin left for Polynesia again — this time, for good.

In the painting “What? Are You Jealous?” a sensation of delight and serenity is embodied in the dark bodies of Tahitian women. Their figures are painted dimensionally and come in contrast with the background: the delicate pink sand on the shore and the arabesques of sea water in the left part of the painting. Gauguin’s stylized lines and colors become independent artistic elements of image, controlled by the artist’s fantasy. Gauguin placed great value on this painting. In a letter addressed to his friend Daniel de Monfreid, he wrote: