Both scenes capture local people set within the stunning landscape in which they live. There are trees reaching up into the sky, with dense foliage placed around the rest of this exotic environment. Gauguin inserts a bright palette, matching the exciting tones found naturally within this part of the world and appreciated being able to do so having spent much of his time previously working in Northern France where the same opportunities did not exist. Even the ground here could be a bright reddish colour and he also greatily appreciated the few signs of human presence that existed here. The houses, for example, would be made of resources found locally and would blend in with the environment far better than much of what he experienced back in Europe. There would also often be animals roaming around fairly free, and that summed up how society ran in this part of the world.

Both Moment of Truth paintings were produced on relatively small canvases. The artist would find it harder and harder to find resources for his work whilst away from Europe and so would have to sometimes compromise on the type of work that he could produce. Ultimately, even these issues would not put him off living an island life and he did his best to adapt to these difficulties. In some cases, though, food would actually become scarce when planned deliveries by boat did not materalise or were delayed significantly. Many would be unable to put up with these circumstances having lived in Europe but Gauguin kept returning and eventually settled here permanently.

Artist Gauguin left behind a huge legacy and although the man himself has not always been the most popular, his work is much loved around the world. Some of the highlights from his career included the likes of Arearea, The Yellow Christ and Fatata te Miti and it would be his time in Tahiti that would really help him to create an oeuvre that was entirely original and also highly influential on later European artists. Sometimes a strong and awkward character is necessary in order to push boundaries successfully and perhaps go against the advice of others. Many could not understand the desire to leave behind all of the perceived comforts of life in Europe, but Gauguin never really settled in France once he had completed his first journey over to Tahiti, where he caught an infectious love for the region which would never diminish.