1848-1903. French Post-Impressionist painter.
Going beyond the Impressionists' notion of
reality, he sought a more direct experience
of life in the magical rites of the people
and rich colours of the South Sea islands. He
disliked theories and rules of painting, and
his pictures are Expressionist compositions
characterized by his use of pure, unmixed
colours. Among his paintings is Le Christe
Jaune 1889 (Albright-Knox Art Gallery,
Buffalo, USA). Born in Paris, Gauguin spent
his childhood in Peru. After a few years as a
stockbroker, he took up full-time painting in
1881, exhibited with the Impressionists, and
spent two months with van Gogh in Arles 1888.
On his return to Brittany he concentrated on
his new style, Synthetism, based on the use
of powerful, expressive colours and boldly
outlined areas of flat tone. Influenced by
Symbolism, he chose subjects reflecting his
interest in the beliefs of other cultures.
After a visit to Martinique 1887, he went to
Pont Aven in Brittany, becoming the leading
artist in the Synthetic movement, and
abandoning conventional perspective. He lived
in Tahiti 1891-93 and 1895-1901 and from 1901
in the Marquesas Islands.