He painted The Black Pigs within the first year of settling in Tahiti, capturing an intensely exciting moment of artistic conversion. The impressionists' style is that of corresponding iridescent strokes of his brushes which is seen in the way the hut's reed roof and the trees foliage forms. The painting expresses a progressive swapping with other colour surfaces in uniformity, with outlines of a strong blue hue. In The Black Pigs, Gauguin uses simplistic, compact forms, particularly with regard to the animals and female characters portrayed in a state of patriarchal rest. The spatial relations of the iconography are regulated by formal unity within a consciously composed framework.
Gauguin enjoyed close relations with his high-profile friends like Van Gogh. The artistic works of Van Gogh only got into the limelight after his suicide. Edgar Degas, a French impressionist, famed for his oil paintings and pastel drawings, was also a close friend. Other contemporaries who were critical in Gauguin's artistic work are Monet, Pissarro and Renoir. He drew his inspiration from the everyday way of Polynesian life and Tahitian women. These subjugated the subject matter of numerous painting works during his stay in the Marquesas Islands and Tahiti. He aimed to create primitive art paintings and discover an untapped paradise. His most famous piece during his stay in Tahiti is likely the When Will You Marry? Nafea Faa Ipoipo 1892. It was sold in 2015. The painting was worth $210 million at the time.
The Black Pigs is an oil on canvas painting depicting a clear azure blue sky with shrubbery in the background and the animals and female characters in the foreground. There is a calmness to this setting, with the figures seeming to enjoy a surreal state. The animals depict being at peace in their surroundings. The luminous green hue of the grass illuminates the painting. The female character at the barn seems to be observing something inside the barn as the female figure seated at the steps of the house watches her. The palm trees behind the barn give off a coastal feel of the area, and the short sleeves of the blouse the woman in the forefront wears indicate a warm atmosphere.
