Paul Gauguin – His Life And Death

Born in 1848 in Paris, Paul Gauguin’s father, Clovis, was a reputed journalist while his mother was the daughter of Flora Tristan. The half-Peruvian Flora Tristan was an influential socialist activist.

Motivated by the society’s political situation, Gauguin’s family left the French capital for Peru when Paul was just three years old. During the long and exhausting journey his mother passed away.

For almost five years Gauguin lived in the Peruvian capital of Lima. The experiences he had while living in the city would largely inspire his painting art.

At the age of seven Paul Gauguin travelled back to France to live with his grandfather in Orleans. Within less than one year he learned how to write and speak French fluently and completed his studies with ease.

He fulfilled his military service by signing in as a merchant marine’s assistant pilot. After having joined the navy for two years, Paul moved to the French capital at the age of 21.

During his time in Paris, Gauguin earned a living being a stockbroker. He married his Danish wife in 1873 and over the next 10 years five children were born.

Gauguin got frustrated because of not getting recognition in France and in 1891 he decided to turn his back against European civilization by sailing to a tropic destination. He eagerly wanted to escape "everything that is artificial and conventional".

Gauguin painted some of his finest works, such as “By the Sea” and “Ave Maria” along with several other impressions of Polynesian life, while living in Mataiea Village on Tahiti.

In 1897 he settled down in Punaauia. It was here where the creation of “Where Do We Come From” took place, which became his artistic masterpiece.

Gauguin spent the rest of his life mainly on the Marquesas Islands. He returned to France only once, where he painted several works in Pont-Aven.
During this period of time, Gauguin made paintings full of pseudo-religious symbols and exotic observations of the Polynesian natives.

Supporting the natives often resulted in conflicts with the Catholic Church as well as the colonial rulers. In 1903 Gauguin was sentenced to 90 days of detention.

However, he never spent one day in prison as on the 8th of May in 1903, the painter died due to syphilis. Gauguin was only 54 when he passed away. Too much alcohol and a dissipated life had severely weakened his health. Paul Gauguin’s final resting place is on his beloved French Polynesian Marquesas Islands.

By: stuart white

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Stuart White knows everything about the history of the world’s most famous portraitists and art painters. Online he often makes use of; Art Painters Biographies