When Paul Gauguin, seeking escape from the rigors of civilization, arrived in Tahiti in 1891, he fell in love with the island and its people. One Tahitian in particular intrigued Gauguin: a golden-skinned girl of 13 named Tehura. Gauguin, who had left a lawful wife and five children in Europe, settled down with Tehura to a South Pacific existence: "Happiness inhabited my home. Each morning it rose radiant with the sun; the golden hue of Tehura's face filled the house with joy and light . . . and [she] gave herself to me ever more loving and docile. I am embalmed...
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