Indigenous Aryans were inter-related, and the notion of biological race came to the forefront The "Aryan race," the presumed identity of Indo-European language speakers was prominent among such races, which was seen to be further subdivided into "European Aryans" and "Asian Aryans," each with their own homelands. Max Mueller, who translated the Rigveda during 1849–1874, postulated an original homeland for all Aryans in central Asia, from where a northern branch was believed to have migrated to Europe and a southern branch came to India and Iran. The Aryans were fair-complexioned Indo-European speakers who conquered the dark-skinned "dasas" of India. The upper castes,
Jug in the Form of a Head, Self-Portrait Gauguin witnessed the beheading of the notorious murderer Prado. Gauguin shows his severed head, dripping with rivulets of blood, his ear cut off, his eyes closed as if in denial. Gauguin portrays himself with closed eyes and a severed ear. Glaze is used to suggest blood which runs down the side of his face to congeal at his neck. As with many of his self-portraits the object is infused with self-pity. The head resembles a death mask, and the way it is modelled strongly suggests that it has been decapitated, reminiscent of Prado. The portrait evokes Van Gogh in a