The Life of Paul Gauguin

The Life of Paul Gauguin

Paul Gauguin was born in Paris on June 7th, 1848. His childhood was filled with radical beliefs and a libertarian lifestyle. In fact, his own father Clovis Gauguin was a republican journalist by trade, whose own writings were criticized for their radicalism and eventually forced the family into exile in 1849. With no stable source of income due to his father’s death, the family established residency in Peru, a decision made in accordance to his mother’s Peruvian descent. At age seventeen, Gauguin decided to enter into the French merchant navy. After a six year stint on the seas, Gauguin returned to Peru. His mother then died in 1867, and he was sent to live with Gustave Arosa, a wealthy art collector, who sparked his interest in art. It was Arosa who led Gauguin to eventually devote his time to painting. However, he did not begin his business career in the realm of art; rather, he succeeded as a stockbroker in Paris. It is there in Paris that he met and married Mette Sofie Gad, and together they had five children. Despite the draw of finance and promise of substantial wealth, he could not temper his desire to paint. His attempts to paint and collect impressionist paintings frustrated Gauguin as he could only devote a meager amount of time and resources. Thus, he determined that he needed to focus his time solely to his lifelong passion: painting. To do so, Gauguin felt the need to sever all personal ties; consequently, he abandoned his family in 1883 without adequate funding. He died in Atuana, Marquesas on May 9th, 1903, a renowned painter, alone with the exception of his works. However, despite his attachment to an eclectic and hermit lifestyle, his contributions to art c...

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... Biography. Nov. 12, 2002. http://www.expo-gauguin.com/2.cfm

This site gave a brief overview of the life of Gauguin. It did not go into great detail on any given part of his life, but rather included the major points and influences throughout.

Encarta Online. Paul Gauguin. Nov. 12, 2002.

http://www.renoirinc.com/biography/artists/gauguin.htm

This site also gave an overview of Gauguin’s life, but also included more descriptions of the changes in his art throughout his life. It provided the paintings that represented these changes.

Works Consulted

Paul Gauguin Biography. Nov. 13, 2002.

http://www.repropaint.com/Gauguin/gauguin.htm

This site was almost identical to the second listed in works cited. It gave a very broad listing of the events in Gauguin’s life, but also gave a few more names involved in shaping his life and painting.