Paul Gauguin was born in 1848, the year of revolutionary upheavals. Probably the most influential figure during his childhood was that of his grandmother, Flora Tristan, a French-Peruvian writer, social activist, and defender of women’s rights.

In 1850, Gauguin’s parents decided to move the family to Peru. Gauguin’s father died on the way and Gauguin’s young mom was left with the responsibility of bringing up their kids. Luckily, she had the help of her family and, for the first few years, things went well until Peru began having serious civil conflicts forcing Gauguin’s family to return to France. Here Gauguin was able to get a job as a stockbroker. He earned much money until the Paris Stock Market Crash and Gauguin’s money was quickly gobbled up.

Gauguin was married to the Dane Mette-Sophie Gad. The couple had five children, but Gauguin simply could not get into being a family man. So the couple split.

Around 1873, Gauguin visited art galleries and made new friendships. He became friends with Camille Pissarro and would often visit the artists on weekends so the two could paint together in Pissarro’s garden. Gauguin would later paint outdoors with Cézanne as well.

During the summer of 1886, Gauguin went to live in Brittany at the Pont-Aven artists’ colony as it was a cheap place to live. Apparently, Gauguin exuded much charisma and found himself sought out by the other students.

The Breton Aesthetic hit him hard and his paintings made big changes.

Gauguin was also influenced by folk art, Japanese prints, and Emile Bernard’s method of painting. New environments stimulated him the most so he travelled. The paintings he made while in Martinique were exhibited in Paris. Vincent Van Gogh saw and admired them. The two met and became friends.

In 1888, Van Gogh, hoping to create an artists’ colony, rented the Yellow House in Arles. He invited Gauguin to join him.  Van Gogh’s brother, Theo, paid Gauguin to go.

Once together in Arles, Gauguin and Van Gogh would spend their evenings drinking at the Café de la Gare owned by Madame Ginoux. Van Gogh had already made paintings of Madame Ginoux and her café. But the competitive Gauguin not only painted Madame Ginoux as well but made a painting that was a combination of two paintings already made by Van Gogh. The rivalry created too much tension. Tempers flared. Van Gogh was already psychologically fragile. Precise details are not known but just two months after Gauguin’s arrival, Van Gogh cut off his ear and gave it to a maid.

It was Madame Ginoux who often helped Van Gogh when he was in difficulty. And it was Madame Ginoux who helped care for the artist after he cut off his ear. Gauguin then left Arles and the two artists never saw one another again.

In 1890, Gauguin left for Tahiti hoping to escape European civilization and its artificiality. Many of his finest paintings were made in Tahiti.

In 1901, Gauguin wrote a travelogue entitled “Noa Noa”. Here he revealed that he had taken a 13-year-old native girl as his wife. Her name was Merahi metua no Tehamana aka Tehura. The young bride quickly became pregnant. But, as we’ve already seen, Gauguin was not a family man. One day he left Tahiti leaving his wife and child behind.

Later Tehura would let it be known that she was glad to get rid of Gauguin as she was repulsed by all the syphilitic sores that covered his body.

Gauguin died of degenerative syphilis in 1903. He was only 54 years old.

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Related:

Gauguin addresses in Paris: 1) studio at 15, rue la Bruyére, Paris  2) 8, rue Carcel, Paris

The garden in winter, rue Carcel painting +

The Moon and Sixpence by William Somerset Maugham inspired by Paul Gauguin (read on Archive HERE) + The Way to Paradise is a historical novel about Gauguin