Book Description
T he paintings of Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) abound with color, sensuality and the sumptuousness of nature. Equally as colorful are the details of his life. Gauguin epitomized the artist as rebel and the dramatic character of his life is almost as spectacular as his art.
Gauguin was born in Paris, but grew up in Lima, Peru. As a young man, he returned to France where he worked as a stockbroker from 1872 until 1883, when he began to paint full-time. In 1891, he went to Tahiti, a place that affected him deeply and thus had a profound effect on his art. From then until his death, he lived in the South Pacific, returning to France only once. His most famous painting, Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? was painted in Tahiti in 1897.
While Gauguin’s paintings were in part a reaction against the naturalism of the Impressionists, they stand, most importantly, as the expression of a daring and original personality. He is considered a Post-Impressionist and one of the most important artists of all time.
About the Author
Roberto Carvalho de Magalhães is a professor of Art History and Musicology at the International University of Art in Florence.
Paul Gauguin (Great Artists Series) ANNOTATION
Discusses the style and technique of the French Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The paintings of Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) abound with color, sensuality and the sumptuousness of nature. Equally as colorful are the details of his life. Gauguin epitomized the artist as rebel and the dramatic character of his life is almost as spectacular as his art.
Gauguin was born in Paris, but grew up in Lima, Peru. As a young man, he returned to France where he worked as a stockbroker from 1872 until 1883, when he began to paint full-time. In 1891, he went to Tahiti, a place that affected him deeply and thus had a profound effect on his art. From then until his death, he lived in the South Pacific, returning to France only once. His most famous painting, Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? was painted in Tahiti in 1897.
While Gauguin's paintings were in part a reaction against the naturalism of the Impressionists, they stand, most importantly, as the expression of a daring and original personality. He is considered a Post-Impressionist and one of the most important artists of all time.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
The Great Artists series launches with a quartet of paper-over-board biographies, including analysis and reproductions of their masterpieces, as well as timelines of important events during their lifetimes. Great Artists: Michelangelo by Roberto Carvalho de Magalhaes, for instance, features the sculpture David, for which Michelangelo "employed all his knowledge of human anatomy and classical art," and The Creation of Adam, the famous scene on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Leonardo Da Vinci by Maria Teresa Zanobini Leoni takes a look at the Italian artist's The Last Supper and Mona Lisa (La Gioconda). Featured works in the study of the French Impressionist Claude Monet also by Magalhaes include The Poppies at Argenteuil and his series of oil paintings based on Rouen Cathedral. Paul Gauguin by Maria Siponta De Salvia examines the works of this French painter who lived in Tahiti for many years, including Two Women on the Beach and Ea Haere la Oe (Where Are You Going?). (Nov.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Gr 6-9-These three titles provide exceptionally good reproductions and detailed analyses of the artists' works in relation to their lives and times. The language, however, is complex and above the heads of the students that the design would indicate. The books are not biographies; they devote only a page at the beginning to a brief sketch of the artist's life, and offer incidental information throughout the rest of the texts. Additional facts appear in top and side margins, but the reason for separating facts this way is not clear, and makes for awkward reading. For example, in Monet, the death of the artist's first wife and his second marriage are noted in the sidebars; students reading only the main texts will wonder who this other woman is. Da Vinci barely makes mention of the man's accomplishments in the sciences. The titles on Monet and Gauguin in the "Artists in Their Time" series (Watts) are better choices on these men; there are many excellent titles on da Vinci. Select these volumes only if you need additional information on the artwork, not the artists.-Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System, FL Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Art & Photography
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