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Oracle of DelphiPaul Gauguin: Part 1
April 8th 2008 03:06
Paul Gauguin: The birthplace of modern art?
I realised today that I haven’t done a classic artist profile in months. I always enjoy researching and updating my own memory banks so I hope you also get something from this brief overview of the life and career of Paul Gauguin.
Born in 1848 and expiring on May 8th 1903 Paul Gauguin was a major influence on the direction art took in the modern era. One of the most respected post-expressionists, his bold use of colour and ability to manipulate form have since become iconic. He was a visual stylist whose artificial textures often reflected a manipulated deeper truth.
Gauguin’s father died when he was three years old, an event that left a lifetime mark on his personal and professional evolution. In his teens compulsory military service in France led to his joining the merchant Marines and later the Navy.
After five years of service he left to become a stockbroker in Paris and within a couple of years married Mette Sophie Gad, over the next decade the coupling spawned five children.
It is around this time he embraced his life’s passion for art and began painting in his spare time. Soon his obvious talents led to a friendship with Cezanne and Camille Pissaro, relationships that introduced him to a range of other artists and styles.
At the age of 33 his work first appeared in impressionist exhibitions but it was still a few more years before he dedicated himself full time to painting. The decision resulted in him leaving his wife and children and after a stint in Copenhagen he returned again to Paris to began his historical friendship with the troubled Vincent Van Gough.
Psychologically unsound and emotionally conflicted Paul was prone to bouts of depression and as he became disillusioned with what he saw as a stagnating European art world there were several attempts at suicide.
Soon his work would radically shift direction as he gradually pursued Asian and African influences and enlisted in the revolution of primitivism, but that story comes tomorrow.
Watch a video display of some of Paul Gauguin's most famous paintings.
A rare photo of Paul Gauguin
I realised today that I haven’t done a classic artist profile in months. I always enjoy researching and updating my own memory banks so I hope you also get something from this brief overview of the life and career of Paul Gauguin.
Born in 1848 and expiring on May 8th 1903 Paul Gauguin was a major influence on the direction art took in the modern era. One of the most respected post-expressionists, his bold use of colour and ability to manipulate form have since become iconic. He was a visual stylist whose artificial textures often reflected a manipulated deeper truth.
A sample of Gauguin
Gauguin’s father died when he was three years old, an event that left a lifetime mark on his personal and professional evolution. In his teens compulsory military service in France led to his joining the merchant Marines and later the Navy.
After five years of service he left to become a stockbroker in Paris and within a couple of years married Mette Sophie Gad, over the next decade the coupling spawned five children.
Gauguin self portrait
It is around this time he embraced his life’s passion for art and began painting in his spare time. Soon his obvious talents led to a friendship with Cezanne and Camille Pissaro, relationships that introduced him to a range of other artists and styles.
At the age of 33 his work first appeared in impressionist exhibitions but it was still a few more years before he dedicated himself full time to painting. The decision resulted in him leaving his wife and children and after a stint in Copenhagen he returned again to Paris to began his historical friendship with the troubled Vincent Van Gough.
Psychologically unsound and emotionally conflicted Paul was prone to bouts of depression and as he became disillusioned with what he saw as a stagnating European art world there were several attempts at suicide.
Daygod - The Shape of things to come
Soon his work would radically shift direction as he gradually pursued Asian and African influences and enlisted in the revolution of primitivism, but that story comes tomorrow.
Watch a video display of some of Paul Gauguin's most famous paintings.
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