My Artist’s Report

Anna Erskine

Visual Arts Principles

My Artist: Gauguin

Painting: The Miraculous Source, 1894

9 Biographical Facts about Gauguin:

• Full name is Eugene Henri Paul Gauguin

• Born June 7, 1848 in France
• Died May 8, 1903 in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French
Polynesia
• Enlisted in the french Merchant Marine at 17
• Started to paint in 1873 to relieve stress from his job of being a
stockbroker
• Married a danish woman, had five kids, abandoned them in Copenhagen
• Lived in Lima peru until age 7 and moved back to France, but preferred Spanish
• Moved to Tahiti and married a Tahitian and had a son
• Died of a stroke

8 fun facts about Gauguin:

• Invited by Van Gogh to join him at Arles, they didn’t get along after Van Gogh threatened him
with a razor, cutting off his own ear

• His works weren’t recognized largely until after their death

• Gauguin attended a seminary after moving back to France in his childhood
• Father was a journalist from Orléans
• Decided to fully devote himself to painting at 35 years old
• When Gauguin left for Tahiti the first time, he settled among the natives instead of the
European inhabited capital of Papeete
• Enjoyed the bright warm colors of Tahiti, used them in his Tahitian paintings
• Practiced a style of painting he called synthetism, (post impressionist term), utilized
colorful patterns and strong outlines, connected to symbolism

Gallery Below:

 Mahana No Atua, (The Day of the God), 1894 Arearea, (joyousness), 1892

The Yellow Christ (1889) Still-Life with Fruit and Lemons (1880) Hail Mary (1891)

The Painter of Sunflowers (1888) Vision After the Sermon (1888)

Comments

The use of warm background colors in Gauguin’s paintings make them very distinct

Gauguin has many paintings based off of his travels to Tahiti, shows you how much the
lifestyle there influenced him

Gauguin is good at creating contrast by adding warm colors among cooler colors or
more faded colors
His paintings always utilize all of the space and fill them up with portrayals of a scene

Gauguin is good at creating movement by portraying events happening, and creating

expressions on people’s faces

The Rhythm in Gauguin’s paintings always feels very smooth and fluid because of the
soft shapes he likes to use

Sources:
https://artlistr.com/paul-gauguin-6-interesting-facts/
https://www.gauguingallery.com/fun-facts.aspx
https://www.jerrysartarama.com/blog/did-you-know-paul-gauguin/

https://www.notablebiographies.com/Fi-Gi/Gauguin-Paul.html

https://www.theartstory.org/artist/gauguin-paul/artworks/

https://www.learnodo-newtonic.com/paul-gauguin-famous-paintings

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/france/articles/ten-works-by-gauguin-you-should-know/