Paul Gauguin

Paul Gauguin 1891

Gauguin La mère de l'artiste

Flora Tristan 1838

Paul Gauguin and Mette Sophie Gad by Julie Laurberg, 1885

Paul Gauguin 001

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Paul Gauguin (7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of color and Synthetism style that were distinctly different from Impressionism. Toward the end of his life, he spent ten years in French Polynesia, and most of his paintings from this time depict people or landscapes from that region.

Early Life

Born in Paris, France, Gauguin was the son of Clovis Gauguin, a journalist, and Aline Chazal, the daughter of socialist leader Flora Tristan. In 1851, the family left Paris for Peru, influenced by the political climate of the period. They stayed in Peru for four years, and this early experience of different cultures was to have a profound effect on Gauguin's later life and work.

Artistic Career

Gauguin began painting in his spare time but did not consider it a serious career until he was in his late twenties. Initially, he painted in the Impressionist manner, exhibiting with the Impressionists in 1876. However, by the mid-1880s, Gauguin began to break away from the Impressionist style to explore more symbolic content, exaggerated body proportions, and the use of pure color. This led to his development of Synthetism, a style that influenced the emerging Symbolist movement.

In 1887, Gauguin traveled to Panama and Martinique, a trip that further influenced his style and choice of subject matter. His experiences in these tropical locations encouraged him to continue to explore exotic themes and settings, leading to his decision to move to Tahiti in 1891. This period was the most productive and is the most well-known phase of his career. Works from this period include Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, The Yellow Christ, and Tahitian Women on the Beach.

Later Years and Death

Disappointed by the European colonization he found in Tahiti and struggling with financial difficulties, Gauguin moved to the Marquesas Islands in 1901. His health deteriorated, and he died on 8 May 1903, leaving behind a body of work that would influence the Fauvist movement and modern art in general.

Legacy

Gauguin's posthumous recognition was slow in coming, but by the early 20th century, his work began to be celebrated for its bold use of color, symbolic imagery, and departure from traditional European painting. Today, Gauguin is considered a major figure in the Symbolist movement and a precursor to modernism. His approach to color and form influenced artists such as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.

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