Paul Gauguin

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Paul Gauguin

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Basic data

Paul Gauguin was a French Post-Impressionist who became famous for his colorful, symbolic depictions of exotic landscapes and cultures. His works had a lasting influence on modernism.

Name: Paul Gauguin
Date of birth: June 7, 1848
Place of birth: Paris, France
Date of death: May 8, 1903
Place of death: Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
Nationality: French
Artistic style: Post-Impressionism, Primitivism
Known works: “Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?”, ‘Vision after the sermon’, ”The yellow figure of Christ”
Techniques: Painting, sculpture, printmaking
Influences: Japanese art, Tahitian culture
Similar artists: Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Otto Mueller
Exhibitions: Numerous exhibitions in leading museums such as the Musée d'Orsay and MoMA
Special features: Gauguin's works are known for their expressive use of color and their engagement with indigenous cultures

Paul Gauguin's works and his life in the South Seas had a profound influence on the development of modern art.

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Paul Gauguin was born on June 7, 1848 in Paris, France. His father, Clovis Gauguin, was a journalist and his mother, Aline Chazal, came from a distinguished family of Peruvian origin. When Gauguin was one year old, the revolution of 1848 broke out in Paris and the family decided to emigrate to Peru. Gauguin spent his early childhood years there and was influenced by the exotic and colorful surroundings, which would later have a great influence on his artistic development. After the death of his father, the family returned to France in 1855.

Back in France, Gauguin grew up with relatives in Orléans. He attended boarding school and initially showed little interest in art, instead developing a love of seafaring and adventure. In 1865, he joined the French merchant navy and spent the next few years at sea. These voyages awakened in him a fascination for foreign cultures and distant lands, a theme that would become central to his later work.

Early career and life as a stockbroker

After his time in the merchant navy, Gauguin returned to Paris in 1871 and began working as a stockbroker. It was a successful time for him: he married the Danish woman Mette-Sophie Gad. Together they had five children. However, while working in the financial world, Gauguin discovers a new passion: art. In his free time, he began to devote himself intensively to painting. He was particularly fascinated by the works of the Impressionists and became friends with artists such as Camille Pissarro and Edgar Degas, who encouraged him to pursue his artistic career further.

At the end of the 1870s, Gauguin took part in several Impressionist exhibitions, but his works were only moderately successful. Nevertheless, in 1883 he decided to give up his well-paid job as a stockbroker and devote himself entirely to art. However, this step led to financial difficulties and tensions in his marriage. Eventually his wife separated from him and Gauguin was forced to find his own way in the art world.

The search for a new style: Brittany and Arles

In the 1880s, Gauguin searched for a new form of artistic expression that went beyond Impressionism. He initially withdrew to Pont-Aven, a remote region in Brittany, where he joined an artists' colony. There, Gauguin developed a style that became known as Synthetism: He reduced his forms and colors to the essentials in order to achieve a symbolic, almost mystical dimension. This style of painting, characterized by clear surfaces, strong colors and simplified forms, reflects his search for a deeper, spiritual truth.

A central work of this phase is “The Vision after the Sermon” (1888), in which Gauguin depicts a biblical scene that achieves a strong emotional impact through the bold use of colour and the stylized composition. This painting shows his break with naturalism and his desire to interpret reality through the lens of the inner and the spiritual.

In 1888, Gauguin moved to Arles to work with Vincent van Gogh. The two artists shared a passion for bold colors and experimental painting techniques, but their relationship was marked by tension and conflict. The collaboration ended abruptly after just two months when Van Gogh cut off his own ear following a mental breakdown. Gauguin leaves Arles and returns to Paris, but his time with Van Gogh has a lasting influence on his art.

First trip to Tahiti: the dream of the South Seas

Frustrated by European society and the art world, Gauguin decided to travel to Tahiti in 1891 in the hope of finding an “original” and untouched culture in the South Seas that corresponded to his idea of purity and simplicity. The trip to Tahiti marked the beginning of a new phase in Gauguin's work, in which he combined his artistic vision with the exotic landscapes and indigenous culture of the South Seas.

In Tahiti, Gauguin initially lived in Papeete, the capital, but soon moved inland to escape colonial society and lead a simple life. The colors and shapes of the Tahitian landscape as well as the spiritual and mythological traditions of the locals inspired him to create some of his most famous works. In paintings such as “Ia Orana Maria” (1891) and “The Spirit of the Dead Wakes” (1892), Gauguin combines exotic motifs with religious and symbolic themes, creating a unique, powerful visual language that is strongly influenced by his idealized vision of the South Seas.

Gauguin's works from this period are characterized by intense colors, highly simplified forms and a mystical, often spiritual content. He painted scenes of daily life in Tahiti, portraying the people and landscapes, but always through the filter of his own ideas and fantasies. These works, which are now considered masterpieces of modern art, were initially received critically in Europe.

Return to Europe and the second trip to Tahiti

In 1893, Gauguin returned to Paris to exhibit his works from Tahiti, but the hoped-for success did not materialize. He lived in poverty and suffered from health problems, including syphilis and the consequences of a broken leg. Despite his difficulties, Gauguin held on to his dream and decided to travel to Tahiti again, this time for good. In 1895, he left Europe, never to return.

In the last years of his life, Gauguin's art became increasingly spiritual and symbolist. He painted some of his greatest works in Tahiti, including the monumental painting “Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?” (1897), which is considered to be his artistic and philosophical summation. This work, which he painted after the death of his daughter Aline and in a phase of deepest despair, poses existential questions about life, death and human nature and combines elements of Tahitian mythology with universal themes.

Last years in the Marquesas Islands and death

In 1901, Gauguin moved to the Marquesas Islands to start a new life. Here he tried to immerse himself even more deeply in the life of the indigenous population and to distance himself completely from Western civilization. However, his health increasingly deteriorates and he suffers from poverty and isolation. Despite these adverse circumstances, Gauguin remained artistically active until his death on May 8, 1903. His last works, including many woodcuts and sculptures, reflect his deep engagement with spirituality, nature and human existence.

Legacy and influence

Paul Gauguin left behind a profound artistic legacy that had a decisive influence on the art of the 20th century. His turn to intense colors, two-dimensional compositions and symbolic representation influenced artists such as Henri Matisse, the Fauves and the Expressionists. Gauguin's search for a deeper, spiritual truth and his engagement with non-Western cultures opened up new paths for modern art and influenced the development of primitivism.

Today, Gauguin's works are considered milestones of modern art and are exhibited in the world's most important museums, including the Musée d'Orsay in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His paintings from Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands are among the best known and most appreciated works of art of the late 19th century. Gauguin's radical artistic vision and his break with European tradition make him one of the most influential and fascinating artists in the history of modern art.

Exhibitions

07.10.2023 – 28.01.2024 Gauguin. The Quest for Paradise – National Gallery, London.
28.03.2020 – 21.06.2020 Paul Gauguin and the Impressionists – Royal Academy of Arts, London.
06.06.2019 – 08.09.2019 Gauguin. Portraits – National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.
11.10.2010 – 16.01.2011 Gauguin. Maker of Myth – Tate Modern, London.

Awards

1889 Medal at the Exposition Universelle in Paris for his participation in the Impressionist exhibition.
1891 Funded by the Académie des Beaux-Arts to travel to Tahiti and create his famous works of the South Seas.
1964 Inauguration of the Paul Gauguin Museum in Tahiti, which was built in his honor.

Films

Gauguin. Voyage to Tahiti, Feature Film, Edouard Deluc, 102 Min, France 2017.
Gauguin. The Full Story, Documentary, Waldemar Januszczak, 120 Min, UK 2003.

Literature

Paul Gauguin, Isabelle Cahn, Eckhard Hollmann, Munich 2017.
Paul Gauguin. 1848-1903. Bilder eines Aussteigers, Ingo F. Walther, Cologne 2017.
Paul Gauguin, Raphael Bouvier, Ostfildern 2015.
Gauguin und seine Zeit, Eckhard Hollmann, Leipzig 2014.

Collections

France

USA

New York - The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)

Washington D.C. - The National Gallery of Art
Chicago – Art Institute of Chicago

Schwitzerland

Basel – Kunstmuseum Basel

Netherland

Amsterdam – Van Gogh Museum

Weblinks

Official Website by the Paul-Gauguin-Museum on Tahiti