How to Identify Paintings by Gauguin

Eugene Gauguin, commonly known as Paul Gauguin, was born in Paris, lived in Peru and joined the Navy at 17. His wanderlust would be with him throughout his life. This Post-Impressionist showed with the Impressionist group from 1879 to 1886. He left his family and his bourgeois life in Paris to go to the south of France and exotic Tahiti. He developed an intensely personal style. Read on to learn how to identify paintings by Gauguin.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Look at the age of the painting. Gauguin painted at the end of the nineteenth century.
2. Determine the style of the painting. Look for abstraction. Gauguin used flattened shapes and strong linear outlines. He disregards natural proportion and colors.
3. Confirm the use of brilliant color. Gauguin was very expressive with his use of color. He believed that color could act like words.
4. Notice the subject matter. Gauguin had a fondness for allegory and an interest in spirituality. He identified with indigenous peoples, whom he considered "primitive," and used them in his painting.
5. Note any influences in the painting. Gauguin had an interest in Egyptian, Japanese and South Pacific arts. He studied Asian, medieval and primitive art. The two-dimensionality and the outlined shapes should be clearly visible.
6. Become familiar with Gauguin's work. Study "The Vision after the Sermon (Jacob Wrestling with the Angel)." Notice the abstract flat color and shapes. Separation exists between the spectators (peasants) and Jacob and the angel.
7. Study one of Gauguin's masterpieces like "Where do We Come From? What are you? Where are we going?" There is an Eve-like figure in the center picking fruit. There are groups of women and children of different ages. Note the use of curvilinear lines and the blue-green tones.

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