Today is the anniversary of Paul Gauguin, one of the most important French painters, born in Paris on June 7, 1848 and who died in Hiva Oa on May 8, 1903. The decorative freedom of his compositions influenced the twentieth-century artistic movements of symbolism and Fauvism. and Art Nouveau. His pictorial vision was characterized by a progressive abstractionism, composed of flat shapes, pure color and the renunciation of perspective and chiaroscuro effects. It is difficult to choose between his works; today, on the occasion of the anniversary, we propose 5 of the most significant ones to understand the evolution of his artistic career. Paul Gauguin, harmony and symbolism of the world
Today the art world remembers the birth of Paul Gauguin, one of the greatest exponents of French post-impressionismPaul Gauguin, the most famous works ” The Seine at the bridge of Jena “, 1875, Musée d’Orsay, Paris
The painting is by the young Gauguin, in fact there is a tendency towards impressionism: the state of the air, the temperature and the atmosphere are typical impressionist. Gauguin adheres to the style but does not stay in the trend because he has his own style. “ Nude of a woman who sews ”, 1881, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen
The scene is set in a bedroom with the woman sitting on an unmade bed against a mauve wall, decorated with a mandolin and a tapestry. Despite the impact the painting had on the Impressionist exhibition, Gauguin was unable to sell it. His wife, Mette, refuses to even hang it in their home. However, when Gauguin left his family in Copenhagen, the canvas was kept by his wife, until it was sold in 1892 to Danish artist Theodor Philipsen, who later donated it to the National Gallery of Denmark. “ Hall in the artist ‘s house ”, 1881, Nasjonalgalleriet, Oslo
In the painting we immediately notice the unconventional and daring choice of placing the large bunch of zinnias in the foreground, an evident reference to the colors of the palette hanging below the cabinet and clearly inspired by the flowers of Monet and especially Degas. The attention to detail reveals how the artist is still tied to naturalism and realism learned from his masters. The painting was presented in 1882 at the seventh Impressionist exhibition and arouses moderate critical interest. “ Cows in a quagmire ”, 1885, Gallery of Modern Art, Milan
When Paul Gauguin paints this canvas he has already achieved his own personal style. The view is marked and dominated by the presence of tree trunks that separate the composition into two parts; the lighter one illuminated by the sun and the darker one in shadow, distinguished by the reflections of the water a little brighter. The thick vegetation plays an important role in the painting and is a prelude to both Breton works and those that he will create in Polynesia. “ Arearea ”, 1892, Musée d’Orsay, Paris
In search of traces of a primitive lifestyle, Paul Gauguin made a first stay in Tahiti starting from April 1891. On the Polynesian island, the artist is inspired by what he sees but also by local tales and ancient religious traditions to depict fantasy scenes. “Arearea” represents one of those works in which dream and reality coexist happily. “Arearea” is part of a set of Tahitian paintings exhibited in Paris in November 1893. Gauguin wants to demonstrate how well founded his research into exoticism
Photo Credit: Musee d’Orsay
