The French Post-Impressionist Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) always believed he could make a living from his painting. In reality, however, his life as an artist was characterized by financial problems. Due to a stock market crash in 1882, Gauguin lost his lucrative job as a stockbroker, from which he could afford to live in luxury. From then on, he worked as a painter, but success was rare. It was not until 1900, shortly before his death, that he was able to secure a small but stable income through a contract with the art dealer Ambroise Vollard. At this time, the European art scene became increasingly aware of Gauguin's paintings. In the exhibition Gauguin in the World, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston takes an in-depth look at the artist's life and work and opens up new perspectives. In particular, his paintings from French Polynesia are being viewed anew today against the backdrop of post-colonialism. The exhibition runs from November 3, 2024 to February 16, 2025.
Over 150 paintings, sculptures, prints and written documents convey a comprehensive picture of the French artist, who did not live to see his fame. On Tahiti, Gauguin broke away from Post-Impressionism and was one of the forerunners of so-called Primitivism with his flat application of paint and exotic motifs, which, however, depicted Gauguin's ideas rather than the realities of island life. His oeuvre continued to influence not only Symbolism and the »Nabis« group of artists, but also paved the way for Synthetism and Expressionism.
