The French artist Paul Gauguin is rightfully considered one of the most outstanding post-impressionists in France. In his paintings symbolism and abstraction are perfectly combined. He could be engaged in entrepreneurship and have a good financial position, but on a creative urge he gave up his financial career. Paul Gauguin has become a very popular but very poor artist. Nowadays, his paintings go under the hammer for millions of dollars, but during his lifetime the work of Gauguin was ridiculed and considered primitive. What a pity that this fate befell more than one great artist.
Like the artist himself, his paintings are filled with courage and eccentricity. Gauguin's most popular works are a series of paintings from the island of Tahiti.
1
"Beautiful country" (1892)
Like all creative people, Paul Gauguin suffered from prolonged depression and bouts of apathy. Arriving on the sunny, warm and hospitable island of Tahiti, Gauguin seemed to plunge into heavenly bliss. The work "Beautiful Country", became for Paul the desire to show the beauty and abundance of the island.
2
Are you jealous? (1892)
Yes, the name for the picture, of course, is unusual and extraordinary, which is characteristic of the outstanding Gauguin, but the plot fully satisfies our perplexity about the name.
What we see here: two nude natives sunbathe after bathing, on the paradise coast, talking about their own, about their women, remembering their love affairs in conversation. One of them asks - are you jealous? That was such an interesting fantasy with the artist. This picture refers to the first Tahitian period.
3
“When to get married?” (1892)
Almost all the subjects of the paintings that Paul wrote on the Polynesian island were taken from the everyday life of the inhabitants of the island.
The painting "When to get married?" - one of the most striking works of Gauguin. It depicts two pretty Tahitians in bright clothes. Apparently their time has come to start a family, which is why the picture has such an interesting name. In February 2015, it was this painting that was sold for $ 300 million and so far this is the absolute price record today for a work of art.
4
Breton Village Under the Snow (1894)
In the work of the French artist Paul Gauguin, landscapes occupy a special niche. The most striking of the works in this direction is considered to be a painting entitled "Breton Village under the Snow", which was painted in Paris in 1894. Being a city dweller, the brush master adored the village where, according to him, he rested in his soul and felt like a truly free artist. Probably because of this, his series of paintings about Breton villages came out very real and colorful.
5
"Day of the deity" (1894)
In 1891, Paul Gauguin moved to the island of Tahiti. Here he finds peace of mind for some time and paints his best paintings. One of these works is considered a painting called "Day of the Deity." The canvas captures both the worship of the local goddess Hina, and the very essence of being. Three figures in the foreground, according to art historians, symbolize the three innermost mysteries of human life - birth, life itself and death. The multi-colored waters of the river are fully consistent with the post-impressionist views of the master.
6
Never Again (1897)
The painting "Never Again", the artist wrote in memory of the deceased daughter. Although it was hard to call the master of paints a good father, nevertheless he was hard pressed by this loss.
The plot intertwines the heavy bitterness of loss and the philosophical meaning of everything that comes into this world and leaves it. The picture shows a young Tahitian woman. She is sad, with sadness she looks into the distance, mentally saying goodbye to someone dear to her heart. The inspiration for this picture was the poem by Edgar Allan Poe "Raven". It tells of a talking raven comforting a lover who was distraught with grief, who had lost his beloved.
7
Vairaumati (1897)
Another artistic masterpiece of Gauguin from the first Tahitian period. The impressionist painter lived in Tahiti for a long time, so he painted a lot of lovely Tahitians. This canvas depicts a dark-skinned, naked girl sitting on a stone covered with a beautiful scarf, tropical fruits are on the table next to her and the sun is shining brightly, her mood is sad, and her thoughts are somewhere far, far away.
8
Flowers and Cats (1899)
As you know, Gauguin has one style of painting, but he has tried all genres, and a still life has also entered his collection. True, an unusually calm plot, where the combination of flowers and animals does not fit into the cycle of his work. This work was written in 1899 and is considered one of his last creations. As for me, a huge vase with brightly colored flowers and peacefully sleeping cats look very harmonious and beautiful on the canvas. What do you think?
9
Three Tahitians on a yellow background (1899)
This work of the painter was created in 1899 in the second Tahitian period. Three lovely and slender women went out into the field in their native Tahiti region to admire the beauty of nature and discuss among themselves their feelings and concerns. Indeed, the yellow color prevails in the picture, but there are many other shades and colors. Nowadays, the painting is in the State Hermitage Museum, in St. Petersburg and connoisseurs of the talent of the French artist can admire it without any problems.
Conclusion
Paul Gauguin’s paintings are a little strange, a little childishly naive, but very deep and sincere. We have chosen the most beautiful works for you, but there are still a lot of works not mentioned, because the artist painted over 100 paintings. Therefore, write in the comments what are your favorite paintings by Paul Gauguin. In addition, the site most-beauty.ru has a very interesting article about the most beautiful paintings in the world. If you are an art lover, do not pass by it!