Octave MORILLOT (1878-1931) Vahiné au bord de l'eau, 1924. Oil on board, mounted on canvas. Signed, located "Tiva" and dated "Aout.24." 60 x 48.5 cm. Tack holes in the corners. Small cracks, small edge chips. Stains. Provenance: Private collection. A naval officer, son of the deputy Léon Morillot, Octave settled in 1905 in Hurepiti, Taha'a, where he founded a plantation: "the favourite island of all, a blessed island where I am alone, without any disturbing Europeans, surrounded by natives, in the middle of the forest from the sea to the peaks, alone with my books, my brushes, my dogs, and a long-haired companion". He was encouraged in his work by his friend Victor Segalen. Self-taught, his painting is influenced by the landscapes and colours of Paul Gauguin. An opium addict, he died suddenly in 1931. The capital of Tiva is located in the commune of Taha'a, part of the Leeward Islands in the archipelago of Société in French Polynesia.