Paul Gauguin

 NAME Paul Gauguin (Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin)

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Paul Gauguin is primarily famous as a leading figure of the Post-Impressionist movement. He is renowned for his innovative use of color, his symbolic and often enigmatic subject matter, and his pioneering role in Primitivism. His work, particularly from his time in Tahiti, significantly influenced the development of modern art, including Fauvism and Cubism.

BIRTH Paul Gauguin was born on June 7, 1848, in Paris, France. He was born at 56, rue Notre-Dame-de-Lorette during the tumultuous year of Europe's revolutionary period.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Gauguin's father was Clovis Gauguin, a radical French journalist who worked as an editor for the liberal, anti-Bonapartist newspaper National. His mother was Alina Maria Chazal, who was half-French and half-Peruvian Creole. Alina was the daughter of Flora Tristan, a prominent proto-socialist leader, feminist activist, and writer who came from an influential Peruvian family. This mixed heritage would later influence Gauguin's artistic perspective and his fascination with "primitive" cultures.

Aline Marie Chazal Tristán, (1825–1867) "The Artist's Mother", 1889,

CHILDHOOD Gauguin's early childhood was marked by political upheaval and tragedy. In 1849-1850, when he was around 18 months old, his family fled France for Peru due to the dangerous political climate under Napoleon III. During the sea voyage to Peru, his father Clovis died of a heart attack, leaving three-year-old Paul, his mother, and sister to fend for themselves.

The family lived for four years in Lima, Peru (1851-1855) with Paul's uncle and extended family, where they enjoyed a privileged lifestyle. The imagery and culture of Peru would later profoundly influence Gauguin's art. When he returned to France at age seven, he could not speak French and understood none of the social codes, having spoken only Spanish during his formative years.

EDUCATION After returning to France, Gauguin moved to Orléans to live with his grandfather. He soon learned French and excelled in his studies. However, he was later sent to a Catholic boarding school in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, which he hated and spent three miserable years attending. His education was relatively conventional for the time, though he showed little interest in formal academic pursuits.

While he showed an early interest in art, his artistic education was largely self-taught and through association with other artists.

CAREER RECORD 1865-1871: At seventeen, he signed on as a pilot's assistant in the merchant marine to fulfill his required military service. He spent six years sailing around the world, including time in the French Navy for two years.

1871-1883: In 1871, he returned to Paris and secured a job as a stockbroker at a Paris brokerage firm, Bertin & Cie, where he invested shrewdly and quickly prospered. He became financially successful and led a comfortable bourgeois lifestyle. During this period, he began collecting art and painting as a hobby.

1883-1903: After the stock market crash of 1882, which left him unemployed, Gauguin decided to become a full-time artist. This decision led to financial struggles that would plague him for the rest of his life.

1887 Gauguin worked as a laborer on the French construction of the Panama Canal.

APPEARANCE Gauguin had a distinctive physical presence. He was described as having dark eyes, a hooked nose and exotic features Contemporary accounts suggest he had fiery red hair and often portrayed himself with mask-like features in his self-portraits. 

Gauguin was powerfully built, with a strong physique. In his later years, his health deteriorated significantly, and he was described as having syphilitic sores on his legs. He also grew a beard.

Paul Gauguin, photography, ca. 1891

FASHION During his time as a stockbroker, Gauguin dressed in the conventional attire of a Parisian bourgeois. However, once he committed to art, his fashion choices became more bohemian and reflective of his desire to shed European norms. He famously adopted more "primitive" or local attire, particularly in Tahiti, often wearing simple clothing, sometimes sarongs, or going shirtless. He also had a fondness for traditional Breton costume during his time in Pont-Aven.

CHARACTER Gauguin was a man of contradictions. He could be charismatic and intensely creative, with a magnetic personality that drew others in. Van Gogh once compared him to "a perfect volcano," acknowledging both Gauguin's fiery intensity and his own inner turmoil. But alongside that creative force came a darker side: Gauguin was often volatile, manipulative, and domineering, particularly toward those in his circle. 

Some scholars believe he may have exhibited traits of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. He was self-obsessed and craved admiration, yet rarely tolerated criticism. 

Restless by nature, he was driven by an unrelenting urge to escape—always searching for more exotic and distant worlds to inhabit.

SPEAKING VOICE Gauguin's first and preferred language remained Peruvian Spanish even after returning to France. He was described as a great letter writer, sometimes flattering to the point of manipulation, and was known for his articulate expression in his correspondence.

SENSE OF HUMOUR Gauguin was noted for his bawdy sense of humor. He was known to be witty and lighthearted in his personal journals, revealing himself to be a captivating storyteller who was quirky and funny. His sense of humor often had a provocative edge, and he enjoyed shocking conventional society.

RELATIONSHIPS Paul Gauguin married Mette-Sophie Gad, a Danish woman, in 1873 in Paris. Over the next ten years, they had five children together: Émile (1874), Aline (1877), Clovis (1879), Jean-René (1881), and Pola (1883). However, their marriage deteriorated when Gauguin decided to become a full-time artist, leading to financial difficulties.

Gauguin with his wife Mette in Copenhagen, Denmark, 1885

In 1884-1885, Gauguin abandoned his wife and children to pursue his artistic career. Mette returned to Denmark with their children, and despite promises to reunite, Gauguin never saw his family again after 1891.

In Tahiti, Gauguin entered into relationships with three successive teenage Tahitian girls: Teha'amana (age 13), and two others aged 14. These relationships were controversial and are now considered exploitative by modern standards.

Gauguin had a tumultuous friendship with Vincent van Gogh. In 1888, he spent nine weeks painting with Van Gogh in Arles, but their relationship ended dramatically when Van Gogh cut off his ear after a confrontation.

He maintained a complex network of relationships with other artists, including Camille Pissarro (his early mentor), Edgar Degas (who admired his work), Émile Bernard, and Paul Sérusier.

MONEY AND FAME As a stockbroker, Gauguin was financially successful and accumulated considerable wealth, which he spent on collecting Impressionist art. However, after the 1882 stock market crash, he faced constant financial struggles. 

Gauguin's financial situation was precarious throughout most of his artistic career and he died nearly penniless. When he passed, his assets were auctioned for just 4,000 francs

He sold his art collection to fund his travels and often relied on friends and patrons for financial support. In 1891, he held an auction of his works to fund his trip to Tahiti, raising almost 10,000 francs.

Fame, in his lifetime, largely eluded Gauguin, particularly the widespread recognition he craved. While he had a small, dedicated following and some critical attention, he was not a financially successful artist during his life. His true fame and recognition came posthumously.

FOOD AND DRINK Gauguin was a heavy drinker, particularly of absinthe and wine. He was described as a "massive fan of absinthe" and would often day-drink the potent liqueur. His drinking habits were typical of many artists of his era, and alcohol played a significant role in his social and creative life.

In Tahiti, Gauguin adapted to local cuisine, enjoying fish and tropical fruits. He wrote about dreaming of living on fish and fruit in a tropical paradise. His dining experiences in Tahiti often featured local Polynesian ingredients and French-inspired preparations. (1)

ARTISTIC CAREER  Gauguin’s journey into the world of art began in the stock exchange. By day, he was a stockbroker in Paris, cheerfully navigating the financial markets; by night, he painted as a hobby, like a man dabbing in oils after dinner for lack of anything better to do. It was a perfectly respectable arrangement—until, that is, the stock market crash of 1882 rudely intervened, sending Gauguin’s career in finance into freefall and nudging him rather decisively toward a life of full-time painting.

His appetite for art had been cultivated earlier, thanks largely to his legal guardian, Gustave Arosa, who happened to own a rather dazzling collection of modern French paintings. As household influences go, this one was unusually helpful. Gauguin also fell in with Camille Pissarro—yes, that Camille Pissarro—who was both a mentor and a kindly usher into the world of Impressionism. For a time, Gauguin tagged along happily with the Impressionists, painting gentle landscapes and interiors and exhibiting his work without causing too much of a fuss.

But, being Gauguin, he soon decided that Impressionism wasn’t quite dramatic enough for his tastes. He wanted more mystery, more symbolism, more boldness. In other words, he wanted to rip up the visual rulebook and start again. And so he did. In Brittany and Martinique, he began experimenting with blocks of flat, unmixed color, heavy outlines, and a dreamy kind of symbolism. The result was Synthetism—a style that combined direct observation, the artist’s emotional response, and decorative form, all in a single canvas. He also dabbled in Cloisonnism, inspired by Japanese prints and medieval enamelwork, with thick black contours and fields of radiant color, as seen in The Yellow Christ (1889), which is exactly as startling as it sounds.

The Yellow Christ

By the early 1890s, Gauguin had decided that France was simply too civilized for his artistic needs. So, with admirable single-mindedness, he boarded a ship and headed for Tahiti. There, he hoped to find an untouched paradise—a "primitive" Eden unsullied by modernity—though what he found was rather more complicated. Nevertheless, the South Pacific gave him exactly what he needed artistically: rich color, spiritual themes, exotic backdrops, and a sense of mythic grandeur. His paintings from Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands became some of his most iconic, merging real landscapes with imagined ones, and blending Polynesian mythology with European Symbolism.

Gauguin wasn’t content to paint alone. He also carved, sculpted, etched, wrote, and fired pottery. He was particularly fond of woodcuts and ceramics, often infused with local mythological motifs—Maori gods, Polynesian spirits, and the like—all filtered through the lens of his formidable ego.

His innovations didn’t go unnoticed—at least not forever. While he lived in relative obscurity and debt, quarrelling with critics and occasionally himself, later generations of artists would cite him as a prophet of modernism. His influence can be traced directly to Matisse, Picasso, the Fauves, the German Expressionists, and just about every artist who ever looked at a color wheel and thought, “Why not orange shadows?”

Today, Gauguin remains one of the most debated figures in art history—celebrated for his audacity, his bold aesthetic, and his visionary talent, but also scrutinized for his exploitative behavior and deeply problematic relationships in Polynesia. As artists go, he was perhaps not the nicest man—but undeniably one of the most important.

MUSIC AND ARTS Gauguin was deeply involved in collecting art and had an extensive collection that included works by Manet, Monet, Pissarro, and Cézanne. He was particularly interested in Japanese prints and folk art, which influenced his own artistic development.

He also had interests in music, as evidenced by his painting The Guitar Player (1894). Gauguin was exposed to various musical traditions during his travels, including Polynesian music and Javanese performances that he encountered at the 1889 Paris Exposition.

Gauguin, c. 1895, playing a harmonium at Alphonse Mucha's studio 

LITERATURE Gauguin was a prolific writer as well as an artist. His literary output included art criticism, satirical journalism, travel writing, and theoretical treatises. He kept journals, most famously "Noa Noa," which blended observations, myths, and personal reflections on his Tahitian experiences.

Gauguin also wrote Avant et après (Before and After), a stream-of-consciousness semi-memoir that was recovered and studied by scholars. His approach to writing was deliberately non-linear and fragmentary, reflecting his artistic philosophy.

He was influenced by Edgar Allan Poe, Honoré de Balzac, and Emanuel Swedenborg.

NATURE Gauguin sought a primal, unspoiled connection to nature, believing it held the key to authentic human experience, untainted by modern civilization. This quest led him to Brittany and, most significantly, to the South Pacific, where he found inspiration in the lush landscapes, vibrant colors, and perceived simplicity of life. His paintings are filled with natural motifs – tropical plants, animals, and landscapes.

Gauguin was drawn to primitive, unspoiled landscapes. He sought "virgin nature" and aimed to "steep myself in virgin nature, to see no one but savages". (2)

PETS Gauguin featured animals in his artwork, including cats and dogs. He painted Still Life with Three Puppies (1888) and included cats in several of his compositions. A little cat appeared in multiple works, traveling artistically with him from Martinique to Arles to Tahiti.

Still Life with Three Puppies

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Besides painting, Gauguin was an accomplished swordsman. He was also skilled in sailing from his years in the merchant marine and French Navy. In his later years in the South Pacific, he would have been involved in local water activities and fishing.

SCIENCE AND MATHS Gauguin was not particularly concerned with mathematical precision in his art. He was "not concerned with the mathematics of it, but more the imagery and ideas he wanted to bring across". His approach was more intuitive and emotional rather than scientific.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Although raised Roman Catholic, Gauguin abandoned the faith under the influence of Darwinism and positivism. He was influenced by Theosophy and comparative religion, studying the works of Helena Blavatsky and Gerald Massey.

He wrote extensively about Christianity and comparative religion in his manuscript Modern Thought and Catholicism (1902). Gauguin believed that "the Jesus Christ of the Gospels is none other than the Jesus Christ of the Myth". He was also interested in Swedenborg's mysticism and Polynesian spiritual beliefs.

POLITICS Gauguin came from a politically active family. His father was a radical journalist and his grandmother Flora Tristan was a socialist leader. Gauguin, himself, held strong anti-establishment and anti-colonial views. He was critical of the French colonial administration in Tahiti, defending the rights of the indigenous population. He acted as a local advocate for the Tahitians, sometimes clashing with authorities. His political leanings were towards anarchism and a rejection of societal norms.

SCANDAL Gauguin's life was riddled with scandal, both personal and public. His abandonment of his family, his unconventional lifestyle, his relationships with young Tahitian women, and his clashes with authority figures all contributed to his scandalous reputation. His art itself was often considered scandalous or shocking by conservative audiences for its raw imagery and unconventional themes. His open criticism of colonial officials in the Marquesas also led to legal troubles.

Modern scholars consider him "a violent paedophile" and "a 19th-century Harvey Weinstein". His exploitative relationships and colonial attitudes have made him a controversial figure in contemporary art discourse.

MILITARY RECORD Gauguin served in the French merchant marine from 1865-1871 as a pilot's assistant. He then joined the French Navy for two years. He traveled extensively during his service, including voyages to Rio de Janeiro and around the world. He was somewhere in the Caribbean when he learned of his mother's death.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Gauguin's health deteriorated significantly in his later years. He suffered from various illnesses and heart problems. 

There has been longstanding debate about whether he suffered from syphilis. Recent scientific testing on teeth discovered at his final home site suggests he may not have had syphilis, as no traces of mercury (the common treatment) were found. However, he clearly suffered from serious health issues in his final years, including leg sores and general physical decline.

HOMES Gauguin lived in numerous locations throughout his life:

Paris: Born at 56, rue Notre-Dame-de-Lorette and later lived at various addresses including 15, rue La Bruyère and 28, place St-Georges

Lima, Peru: Lived with his uncle's family (1851-1855)

Copenhagen, Denmark: Lived with his wife's family (1884-1885)

Pont-Aven, Brittany: Artist colony where he developed his mature style

Tahiti: Built a traditional hut with reed walls and thatched roof in Mataiea district

Marquesas Islands: His final home was "La Maison du Jouir" (House of Pleasure) in Atuona, Hiva Oa (1901-1903)

Reconstruction of  Maison du Jouir at Atuona: Photo by Remi Jouan

TRAVEL Gauguin’s life was defined as much by travel as by art. Born in Paris, he spent a significant part of his childhood (1849–1855) in Lima, Peru, where his mother’s aristocratic family provided a comfortable home filled with indigenous art and culture—an early and lasting influence on his aesthetic.

As a young man, Gauguin joined the French merchant marine in 1865, launching a six-year period of global seafaring that took him to ports across the world. This was followed by service in the French Navy, during which he visited the Caribbean and parts of South America, further expanding his exposure to diverse cultures and landscapes.

In 1887, during his artistic development, Gauguin traveled to Martinique on a painting expedition. The island’s tropical colors and native culture left a deep impression and would later echo in his Tahitian works.

His most famous journeys began in 1891, when he left France for Tahiti in search of what he called a more “primitive” and unspoiled existence. He lived there in two separate stretches—from 1891 to 1893, and again from 1895 to 1901—producing some of his most iconic and controversial art, steeped in symbolism, vibrant color, and imagined Polynesian mysticism.

In 1901, Gauguin moved even farther afield to the Marquesas Islands, where he spent the last two years of his life. It was there, in relative isolation, that he completed some of his final works and continued to write, sculpt, and reflect on a life that had wandered far—geographically, artistically, and morally—from the salons of Paris.

DEATH Paul Gauguin died on May 8, 1903, at the age of 54 in Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands. He died alone and nearly penniless in his hut called "La Maison du Jouir".

In his final letter, written in April 1903, he expressed his despair: "It will be said all my life that I am condemned to fall, get up, fall again etc…". He had been condemned for slander by colonial authorities and was facing imprisonment and fines. 

 He was buried in the Calvary Cemetery in Atuona. Gauguin's body was already decomposing when he was buried, and only a small group of natives accompanied him to his grave.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Paul Gauguin has been the subject of numerous books, films, and documentaries:

1. Biographies: Many scholarly and popular biographies, including those by John Rewald, David Sweetman, and Belinda Thomson.

2. Novels: W. Somerset Maugham's novel The Moon and Sixpence (1919) is a fictionalized account inspired by Gauguin's life.

3. Films: The Moon and Sixpence (1942 film adaptation of Maugham's novel, starring George Sanders).

Lust for Life (1956), a biographical film about Van Gogh, featuring Anthony Quinn as Gauguin (who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role).

Gauguin the Savage (1980 TV film, starring David Carradine).

Gauguin: Voyage de Tahiti (2017, starring Vincent Cassel).

4. Documentaries: Numerous art documentaries.

ACHIEVEMENTS 

Pioneered Post-Impressionism: Developed a unique style characterized by bold colors, flattened forms, and strong outlines, moving beyond the Impressionistic focus on light and transient effects.

Innovator of Symbolism and Primitivism: Explored symbolic meaning and spiritual themes in his art, drawing inspiration from non-Western cultures, thus becoming a key figure in the Primitivism movement.

Influenced Modern Art: His use of color and simplified forms had a profound impact on subsequent art movements, particularly Fauvism (Henri Matisse, André Derain) and Cubism (Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque).

Master of Color: Revolutionized the use of color, using it expressively and emotionally rather than descriptively.

Significant Body of Work: Produced an extensive and influential oeuvre of paintings, sculptures, and prints, including iconic works like Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, Christ in the Yellow Christ, Vairumati, and Te Pape Nave Nave (Delicious Water).

Literary Contributions: Authored Noa Noa, a valuable account of his experiences and artistic philosophy in Tahiti.

Sources (1) PBS (2) National Gallery Australia (3) Derval Freeman