Talk with Paul Gauguin

Paul Gauguin was a French post-Impressionist artist, renowned for his bold experimentation with coloring and a pioneer of the Symbolist art movement. Born on June 7, 1848, in Paris, Gauguin initially started his career as a maritime agent and stockbroker but decided to pursue art full-time in the late 1870s. His early works were in the Impressionist style, and he exhibited with them on several occasions.

Gauguin's style evolved substantially over his career. After a period in which he painted in Brittany—where he was influenced by the rugged landscapes and the local culture—he increasingly incorporated bold, flat forms and exotic elements into his work. He is perhaps best known for the time he spent in Tahiti and other parts of French Polynesia from 1891 until his death in 1903. During these years, he painted many scenes of local life, landscapes, and women, characterized by vivid color, abstract forms, and mystical themes. Paintings like "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" and "Spirit of the Dead Watching" are among his most famous and depict rich narratives infused with a sense of the exotic and profound philosophical questioning.

Gauguin was also known for his strong and often controversial personality, and he lived a life marked by financial struggles, conflicts with authority, and a disregard for social norms. His posthumous fame grew substantially, influencing many modern artists and art movements. Today, Gauguin is considered one of the major figures of late 19th-century art, and his works are held in high esteem in art collections worldwide.

Paul Gauguin was initially inspired to start painting through his interactions with the Impressionist artists in Paris and his exposure to their work. He was an avid collector of paintings, and through his visits to galleries and art shows, he developed a passion for art. Impressionists like Camille Pissarro and Edgar Degas influenced him, and his early works show the impact of their style and subject matter.

Additionally, his personal quest for a more profound and less materialistic way of life drove him to leave his career as a stockbroker and commit fully to painting. Gauguin sought to escape the industrialized urban environment of Paris and explore themes of existential and spiritual significance through his art. This desire for a deeper connection with nature and primitive cultures eventually led him to places like Brittany, Arles, and ultimately, Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands, where he found new sources of inspiration and motifs for his artworks.

Paul Gauguin first moved to Tahiti in 1891. He was seeking to escape "European civilization" and what he felt were its artificialities, and to immerse himself in the cultures of the South Seas, which he believed were more primal and connected to the elemental aspects of life. This move marked a significant shift in his artistic style and subject matter.

Paul Gauguin experienced several significant hardships throughout his life. One of the first was financial instability. Initially, he worked as a stockbroker, but the 1882 financial crash in France devastated his income. This upheaval forced him to pursue painting full-time, a risky and financially uncertain career at that time.

Health was another major issue for Gauguin. He suffered from syphilis, which caused him severe pain and health complications later in his life. This was exacerbated by his living conditions and lifestyle, particularly during his time in the tropics, where medical resources were limited.

Gauguin also faced isolation and a lack of recognition during his lifetime. His decision to move away from European civilization to places like Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands in search of purer artistic inspiration led to physical and social isolation. In these remote locations, he felt disconnected from the European art scene and struggled with the local authorities and the church. His work was not widely appreciated or understood during his lifetime, contributing to his feelings of alienation and frustration.

Furthermore, his relationships were fraught with difficulties. Gauguin's decision to leave his wife and five children in Denmark to pursue his art full-time strained his familial relationships. His relationships with other artists, such as Vincent van Gogh, were also complex and sometimes turbulent.

Despite these hardships, Gauguin's posthumous recognition grew, and he is now celebrated as a major figure in Symbolist art and as a profound influence on the development of modern art.

Paul Gauguin left France for the South Pacific in search of new inspiration, escaping the confines of European civilization and its artistic conventions. Disenchanted with the industrialization and materialism he saw in European society, Gauguin was drawn to what he perceived as the more primitive and unspoiled cultures of the South Pacific, particularly Tahiti. He was seeking a purer, more authentic way of life that he hoped would revive his art. This move was also influenced by his desire to escape personal and professional challenges in France, including financial difficulties and a lack of appreciation for his work. His travels to Tahiti and later to the Marquesas Islands profoundly influenced his artistic style and subject matter, leading to some of his most famous and acclaimed works.

Paul Gauguin's financial struggles had a significant impact on both his work and his life. He faced constant financial difficulties throughout his career, which influenced his decisions both artistically and personally.

Initially, Gauguin was a stockbroker in Paris, a profession that afforded him a comfortable lifestyle. However, during the economic downturn of the 1882 stock market crash, Gauguin suffered severe financial setbacks. This prompted him to shift his focus entirely to painting, a field in which he believed passionately but which also led him into deeper financial instability.

These financial struggles forced Gauguin to live a life of austerity at times and prompted several relocations in search of cheaper living conditions and new artistic inspirations. This is evident in his move to Brittany, where he was drawn both by the lower cost of living and the presence of a vibrant artistic community.

Ultimately, his financial situation was one of the driving factors behind his decision to move away from Europe to the South Seas, including Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands. Living in these locations was less expensive, and he also hoped that the unique cultures and landscapes would inspire new directions in his art.

Artistically, his financial condition influenced the materials and methods he employed. Gauguin often had to use cheaper materials and sometimes reused canvases by painting over older works. His financial instability also impacted how he marketed his work, often selling paintings at lower prices to secure quick sales or bartering artworks for necessities.

Despite these challenges, Gauguin’s financial hardships contributed to the development of his distinctive style. His situation pushed him into environments that profoundly influenced his aesthetic focus, particularly his exploration of primitivism, and they intensified his feelings of isolation and alienation, themes often reflected in his work. Thus, while financially burdensome, these struggles were integral in shaping Gauguin as the artist we recognize today.

Paul Gauguin's works are sold at various prestigious art auctions and by reputable art dealers around the world. Some of the prominent auction houses that have handled the sale of Gauguin's works include Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams. Additionally, his paintings and artworks can also be found in private sales through major art galleries that specialize in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. Due to their high value and rarity, Gauguin's works are often sold in significant art markets like New York, London, and Paris.

Paul Gauguin did not cut off his ear; it was Vincent van Gogh who famously did so. Gauguin and van Gogh were contemporaries and had a tumultuous friendship, particularly during the time they spent together in Arles in the South of France. The incident of van Gogh cutting off part of his own ear occurred after a confrontation with Gauguin in December 1888. Gauguin's role in the situation was as a figure involved in the dispute that preceded van Gogh's self-mutilation, but he himself did not cut off his ear or any part of his body.

"Vision After the Sermon" is an oil painting by Paul Gauguin, completed in 1888. This work is considered a significant piece in Gauguin's oeuvre, showcasing his departure from Impressionism towards a more symbolic approach characterized by bold colors and abstraction.

The painting depicts a scene imagined by a group of Breton women after listening to a sermon, in which Jacob wrestles with an angel as recounted in the Bible (Genesis 32:22-32). The vision is set apart from the real world by a bold red background, which symbolizes the visionary experience and separates it from the space occupied by the women and the tree in the foreground. This use of color to delineate different layers of reality was innovative and influenced the development of Symbolism in art.

In "Vision After the Sermon," Gauguin emphasizes the spiritual and mystical over the observable world, reflecting his growing interest in depicting emotional and spiritual experiences rather than realistic scenes. This painting is also noted for its influence on the Nabis, a group of Post-Impressionist avant-garde artists in France who followed his stylistic developments closely.

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