Monday, November 16, 2009

Paul Gauguin

Paul Gauguin















Paul Gauguin
French, born 1848

The Swineherd, 1888
Oil on Canvas
93 x 74 cm (36 x 74 in.)

Post-Impressionist painters are known for using vivid colors, thick application of paint, distinctive brushstrokes, real-life subject matter, and unnatural or arbitrary color. Most people are familiar with the paintings of Paul Cézanne.

My favorite painter from this period is Vincent van Gogh, with whom Gauguin spent nine weeks painting in Arles. Paul Gauguin experienced bouts of depression and at one time attempted suicide. After suffering financial troubles and a lack of recognition, Gauguin left Europe.

In Polynesia, Gauguin created many figurative paintings of the island's female inhabitants. The paintings were rich with exotic motifs and symbolism. Gauguin died from syphilis at 54 years of age.

This painting is currently part of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, European Painting - Post-Impressionism collection.