Country of origin: France
Paul Gauguin
Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) was a French-born artist. At the beginning of his careeer, Gauguin was an Impressionist, and was a friend of many of the Impressionist painters. With time, Gauguin grew tired of European art, and particularly resented the naturalism of Impressionism. Gauguin had decided he prefers visions created by the mind, over realistic images, and has developed his own style that was influenced by African and Asian art. A notable Asian influence in Gauguin’s oil paintings, lays in his use of decorative motifs and patterns.
Gauguin’s use of colour and form was considered revolutionary for his time, and was not accepted by the art community. Like his friend and fellow artist Vincent Van Gogh, Gauguin battled depression, which led him to leave his home, family and job in
Gauguin has painted his most famous works using primitive, flat yet sincere forms in vibrant colours, a style which later led to the “synthetic” style of modern art.
