HE romanticised himself as “a savage”, explaining and excusing his own nature. He deserted a wife, children and material security because of the conviction, shared by few, that inside him there existed a great painter. He was abusive, debauched, arrogant, derisive, intolerant, and possibly the loneliest man who ever lived. He also made most of the art of the 20th century possible....
The paintings from the South Seas look idyllic still, but in his dealings with some very young local girls Gauguin could easily be depicted as a sex tourist. He idealised nature and the “primitive” life as the only road to liberation, but even when he stood up for native rights he was as much of a colonist as any.
June 20, 2005
Was the artist Paul Gauguin a sex tourist?
That's the unromantic way to look at it:
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6 comments:
Is it meant to be surprising that yet another popular figure has a darker side?
Typical journalistic hyperbole: "He also made most of the art of the 20th century possible." I seem to recall the names Manet, Monet, Pisarro, Cezanne, Degas, etc. I don't think Gauguin, great as he was, was indispensable amid all those others.
I'm writing a blog on Gauguin. Each post concentrates on a particular painting and how it reveals his artistic development, motivation and character.
http://gauguin-fan.blogspot.com
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