Paul Gaughin
(go ghan)
Self portraits
Born: June 7, 1848, Paris France
Died: May 8, 1903
Paul Gaughan
 Gauguin was born in Paris. At first, painting was only a hobby
for him. He was a stockbroker who collected modern art on
the side.
 As his love and knowledge of art grew, so did his
dissatisfaction with Western life and society.
 When he was 35 he left his family, his home, and his
business to go live on an island in the South Seas and
become a painter.
Tahiti, South
Pacific
The importance of color
 For the rest of his life he experienced suffering, poverty, and
often hunger. The subjects for his paintings were the people
and objects that he saw on the islands. Gauguin used bold
bright colors to express his ideas.
 Gauguin felt that you should not be afraid to use color. As he
said, "How does that tree look to you? Green? All right, then
use green, the greenest of your pallet. And that shadow, a
little bluish? Don't be afraid. Paint it as blue as you can."
Gauguin’s shocking style
 When he sent some of his paintings to France, the people
were shocked because they were not used to such bright
colors.
 Characteristic of Gauguin's style are large areas of intense
color; which are clearly painted with rhythmic flowing lines.
Gaugin’s portrait of Van Gogh
Tahitian Landscape
What News
Tahitian Village
Still life
Gaughin’s Art