Paul Gauguin

In researching Paul Gauguin’s life for this post, I came across these four lovely videos from the National Gallery of Art, which tell Gauguin’s story much better than I could. Each is short; altogether it takes a little over half an hour to watch all four.

The Tahitian paintings are the ones that come to mind when I think of Gauguin, but many of his earlier paintings are very charming and more realistic.

Suzanne Sewing, 1880 — *Susanne Sewing,* Paul Gauguin, 1880

Still-Life with Fruit and Lemons (c. 1880) — *Still Life with Fruit and Lemons,* Paul Gauguin, 1880

Martinique Landscape 1887 — *Martinique Landscape,* Paul Gauguin 1887

I think Paul Gauguin was not a very nice man, at least not toward his wife. They had four children, but Paul was always going off and leaving them and his wife behind. In Tahiti, he took 3 child brides.

The Swineherd, Brittany (1888) — *The Swineherd, Brittany,* by Paul Gauguin 1880

Painter's Family in the Garden in Rue Carcel, 1881 — *Painter’s Family in the Garden in Rue Carcel,* Paul Gauguin 1881

La Bergère Bretonne, 1886 — *La Bergère Bretonne,* Paul Gauguin 1886

And now we go to Tahiti.

Tahitian Women on the Beach (1891) — *Tahitian Women on the Beach,* Paul Gauguin 1891

Sacred spring, sweet dreams, 1894 — *Sacred Spring, Sweet Dreams,* Paul Gauguin 1894

Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? 1897 — *Where Do We* *Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?* Paul Gauguin 1897

Two Tahitian Women (1899) — *Two Tahitian Women,* Paul Gauguin 1899

I love all of these paintings. Gauguin is considered one of the leading Post-Impressionists. He was a major influence on Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Georges Braque, among others.