Paul Gauguin
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin was born in Paris on the 7th of June 1848, amidst the revolutionary upheavals that swept across Europe. His father, Clovis Gauguin, fled France as a liberal journalist when his newspaper was suppressed by authorities. The family's journey to Peru began with hope but ended in tragedy when Clovis died of a heart attack en route. Gauguin arrived at age two with his mother and sister under the care of wealthy relatives who held powerful positions in Peruvian society. He enjoyed a privileged childhood attended by nursemaids until political conflicts forced his return to France in 1854. His maternal grandmother Flora Tristan had been an activist whose life was cut short after being shot by her husband. She survived the attack with a bullet lodged three centimetres from her heart before dying aged forty-one. Gauguid idolized her books and kept copies with him throughout his life.
In 1871, Gauguin secured employment as a stockbroker at the Paris Bourse through a close family friend named Gustave Arosa. By 1879 he earned thirty thousand francs annually plus additional income from art market dealings. The financial crisis of 1882 shattered this prosperous career when the Paris stock market crashed and the art market contracted sharply. Paul Durand-Ruel stopped buying pictures from painters like Gauguin during this period. Over the next two years Gauguin formulated plans to become a full-time artist despite earning only modest sums. In October 1883 he wrote to Camille Pissarro declaring he would make his living from painting at all costs. The following January he moved his family to Rouen where they could live more cheaply but the venture proved unsuccessful. Mette and the children eventually returned to Copenhagen while Gauguin followed in November 1884 carrying his art collection which remained there permanently.
Gauguin's artistic education was largely self-taught yet shaped significantly by associations with other artists rather than academic training. His entry into the art world began through acquaintance with Camille Pissarro who took on a mentor role introducing him to Impressionist techniques. He exhibited paintings in Impressionist exhibitions held in 1881 and 1882 though earlier work received dismissive reviews. By 1886 he spent summers in Pont-Aven Brittany where young students flocked to learn from his bold use of pure colour. Charles Laval accompanied him to Panama and Martinique where he produced between ten and twenty works including brightly coloured outdoor figural scenes. Under influence of folk art and Japanese prints his work evolved toward Cloisonnism characterized by flat areas of colour separated by heavy black outlines. In The Yellow Christ painted in 1889 Gauguin reduced images to areas of pure colour dispensing with classical perspective and subtle gradations. Later his style shifted toward Synthetism where neither form nor colour predominated but each played an equal role.
By 1890 Gauguin conceived making Tahiti his next artistic destination after selling paintings at an auction held at Hôtel Drouot in February 1891. He set sail for Tahiti on the 1st of April 1891 promising to return rich and make a fresh start while escaping everything artificial and conventional. His first three months were spent in Papeete the capital already influenced by French culture before establishing a studio in Mataiea some distance away. There he executed paintings depicting Tahitian life such as Fatata te Miti and Ia Orana Maria which became his most prized Tahitian painting. Many fine works date from this period including Vahine no te tiare featuring careful delineation of Polynesian features. He sent nine paintings to patron George-Daniel de Monfreid who exhibited them in Copenhagen though only two sold unfavorably compared to van Gogh's work. Running out of funds and facing health problems diagnosed as heart issues he returned to France in August 1893 never seeing Teha'amana or their child again despite returning years later.
Vincent van Gogh and his brother Theo admired Gauguin's Martinique paintings displayed at Arsène Poitier's gallery where Theo purchased three for nine hundred francs. Vincent and Gauguin became close friends with correspondence instrumental in formulating Gauguin's philosophy of art. At Theo's instigation they spent nine weeks painting together at Vincent's Yellow House in Arles during 1888. Their relationship deteriorated until on the evening of the 23rd of December 1888 Vincent confronted Gauguin with a straight razor before cutting off his own left ear. He wrapped the severed tissue in newspaper handing it to a woman working at a brothel both had visited asking her to keep it carefully in remembrance. Vincent was hospitalized the following day while Gauguin left Arles never seeing him again though they continued corresponding. An 1889 sculptural self-portrait Jug in the Form of a Head appears to reference this traumatic relationship. Gauguin claimed influence over Vincent's development but Vincent quickly returned to painting from nature after briefly experimenting with theory of painting from imagination.
Gauguin settled in Atuona on the island of Hiva-Oa arriving on the 16th of September 1901 as administrative capital of the Marquesas group. The population had declined dramatically from eighty thousand to four thousand due to Western diseases especially tuberculosis. Catholic missionaries held sway enforcing control over drunkenness and promiscuity while French colonial rule was enforced by gendarmerie noted for malevolence. He built a two-floor house called Maison du Jouir decorated with polychrome wood-carved lintels echoing earlier carvings Soyez amoureuses vous serez heureuses. The ground floor served for dining and living while the top floor housed sleeping quarters and studio space. His health deteriorated rapidly with pain in his injured ankle growing insupportable requiring morphine injections by July 1902. Sight began failing him evidenced by spectacles worn in his last known self-portrait completed by friend Ky Dong. At seven months pregnant Vaeoho left him in March 1903 returning home to give birth among family before dying shortly thereafter. Gauguin died suddenly on the morning of the 8th of May 1903 found dead at eleven o'clock by neighbor Tioka who confirmed death traditionally by biting scalp.
Word of Gauguin's death reached France only on the 23rd of August 1903 when Monfreid received news from Tahiti. In absence of a will less valuable effects were auctioned in Atuona while letters manuscripts and paintings went to Papeete auction on the 5th of September 1903. This speedy dispersal led to loss of much valuable information about later years though inventory revealed life not as impoverished as maintained. Mette received proceeds totaling four thousand francs from auction including Maternité II sold for one hundred fifty francs to French naval officer Commandant Cochin. Governor Petit himself bid up to one hundred thirty-five francs for that painting which later sold at Sotheby's for US$39,208,000 in 2004. Dealer Ambroise Vollard organized exhibitions late in career assisting two important posthumous shows in Paris reviving reputation. His work became influential on French avant-garde including Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse while market value skyrocketed with sculptures like Thérèse achieving record $30,965,000 at Christie's New York sale in November 2015.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When and where was Paul Gauguin born?
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin was born in Paris on the 7th of June 1848. He arrived at age two with his mother and sister after his father died en route to Peru.
How did Paul Gauguin transition from stockbroker to full-time artist?
Paul Gauguin secured employment as a stockbroker until the financial crisis of 1882 shattered his career. In October 1883 he wrote to Camille Pissarro declaring he would make his living from painting at all costs.
What artistic styles defined Paul Gauguin's work during his career?
Paul Gauguin developed Cloisonnism characterized by flat areas of colour separated by heavy black outlines. His style later shifted toward Synthetism where neither form nor colour predominated but each played an equal role.
Why did Paul Gauguin travel to Tahiti and when did he arrive there?
Paul Gauguin set sail for Tahiti on the 1st of April 1891 promising to return rich while escaping everything artificial and conventional. He established a studio in Mataiea some distance away from the capital Papeete.
What happened between Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh in Arles?
Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin spent nine weeks painting together at Vincent's Yellow House in Arles during 1888. Their relationship deteriorated until on the evening of the 23rd of December 1888 Vincent cut off his own left ear before Gauguin left Arles never seeing him again.
When and how did Paul Gauguin die in Hiva-Oa?
Paul Gauguin died suddenly on the morning of the 8th of May 1903 found dead at eleven o'clock by neighbor Tioka who confirmed death traditionally by biting scalp. His health had deteriorated rapidly with pain requiring morphine injections by July 1902.