Henri-Edmond Cross 
The Golden Isles 
Henri-Edmond Cros (1856-1910)
"The Golden Island" (1891-1892)
Oil on canvas 59x54 cm
Paris, Musée d'Orsay 　　　　　
Painting size: approximately original size
Work code: CroGol　　　　　　　　
You can also purchase it at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum museum shop.

“The sea is in the foreground, and the Maule Mountains are far away, so beautiful. The islands of Hyères, which the people call the "Golden Islands", can be seen.
The horizon stretches out along the curve of the coast, and the yellow sand sparkles in the light.
Preface to the Henry-Edmond Cross exhibition held at Galerie Druet in Paris This is a depiction of Hyères, the southernmost town in Provence, written in a letter by Emile Verhaeren, a Belgian poet who was a friend of Cross. The coastline actually opens out toward the three islands of the Hyères archipelago (Porcrolu, Porcro, and Levon), and its nickname, L'Isle of Gold (L'Isle d'Or), is due to the golden color of the crystalline schist that is illuminated by the light of the lighthouse. Although the subject of this canvas is an island, Cross focused on the effects of light on the colors as much as possible. The elements consist of a group of three major colors: sand, sea, and sky.

Following Post-Impressionist techniques, the cross is created using round brush strokes of different sizes, starting from the foreground and moving toward the horizon. Therefore, by using smaller dots, he creates the illusion of infinite space.
This painting, whose composition is based on the creative overlapping of the color bands of the sand, sea, and sky, was created by the artist at the time. These resolutely modern works also reflected the influence of ukiyo-e, which was highly regarded in Japan. In 1947, it was acquired by the French state.

It is now in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, and was created to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Claude Debussy's birth. He came to Japan to exhibit his work at the "Music and Art: Between Impressionism and Symbolism" exhibition. This work, which can be interpreted as having a sexual nature, is Cross's most beloved work.