DOI issue:
Nr. 336 (May 1925)
DOI article:Cann, Louise Gebhard: Gaugin's image of himself
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19985#0119
mceRnAcionAL
scudio
it gleams in the eyes, always
subjective and remarkable in
Gauguin's self-depiction. Here
they are green and deep-set,
with a sort of cunning animal
revery in them as if longing for
and plotting escape. They are
visionary in contrast to the neat
business-like head that one
easily imagines bending over a
ledger, in spite of the sailor's
fist holding a brush above the
palette from which black has
been banished. The features are
coarse and energetic; something
in the drawing suggests a will
that can neither be turned nor
broken. The straight lines of
the composition are awkward,
with an unpleasing rhythm
against the lean curves, but the
greens and violets vibrate de-
lightfully with the crimsons and
ambers, denoting that instinct
for harmony that is native and
cannot be acquired from others.
There is no hint of the transpo-
sition of the inner life and the
strong egoistic emotion that as
early as the famous "Boniour, "self portrait," 1893 / . by paul gauguin
. , , De Monjreid Collection
Monsieur Gauguin" begin to
appear. Broken color and the
scientific observation of light was not the vehicle in that fabulous studio the walls of which were
for a temperament that was to culminate in "Que covered by the artist with chrome yellow and
Sommes-nous? D'oii Venons-nous? Oil Allons- hung with barbarous weapons and animal skins
nous?" collected during his travels. He gave it to the
One has but to glance at a portrait painted musician, William Molard, who had introduced
some thirteen years later, soon after his return him to Strindberg, and who with his wife, a
from Tahiti, to perceive the meaning of quantita- sculptress, lived on the ground floor of the same
tive color in relation to linear composition, as he house. Gauguin had started a portrait of M.
developed and practised it. Full arabesque re- Molard. He evidently lost interest in it and,
places the meagre curve of the earlier work, reversing the board, painted himself. The incident
straight lines of a happy ordinance stress a rhythm reminds us of Francisco Durrio's criticism of the
that is musical in visual'effect, the harsh upright water-colors in his own choice collection, which
and abrupt transversals no longer distort the har- includes a sketch of Gauguin in his Tahiti cabin,
mony that is carried out in balanced colors pro- his back toward the observer, that "Gauguin had
portioned spatially, echoed and varied through emotion but not technique." It is hard to believe
the pattern of the pareo, the sketch on the wall of that the feeble drawing on one side of the board
"L'Esprit Veille," and the bands of olive-yellow, was followed within a few days by the robust self-
vegetable green, crimson, in the triangle. The characterization on the other. Gauguin himself
similarity in these two compositions gives an remarked on the occasion of his visit to Van Gogh
excellent opportunity to ascertain the richness at Aries that he was slow to respond to new
and originality of Gauguin's personal art as com- themes. The pictural urge with him was not
pared to his exercises, however capable, in Impres- abetted by any appreciable virtuosity, as it is in
sionism. As autobiography, the later work tells a Van Dongen, or a de Segonzac, or, in the oppo-
us much. It was painted at 6 rue Vercingetorix, site camp, a Styka. Flis emotions were involved
may i q 2 5
one nineteen
scudio
it gleams in the eyes, always
subjective and remarkable in
Gauguin's self-depiction. Here
they are green and deep-set,
with a sort of cunning animal
revery in them as if longing for
and plotting escape. They are
visionary in contrast to the neat
business-like head that one
easily imagines bending over a
ledger, in spite of the sailor's
fist holding a brush above the
palette from which black has
been banished. The features are
coarse and energetic; something
in the drawing suggests a will
that can neither be turned nor
broken. The straight lines of
the composition are awkward,
with an unpleasing rhythm
against the lean curves, but the
greens and violets vibrate de-
lightfully with the crimsons and
ambers, denoting that instinct
for harmony that is native and
cannot be acquired from others.
There is no hint of the transpo-
sition of the inner life and the
strong egoistic emotion that as
early as the famous "Boniour, "self portrait," 1893 / . by paul gauguin
. , , De Monjreid Collection
Monsieur Gauguin" begin to
appear. Broken color and the
scientific observation of light was not the vehicle in that fabulous studio the walls of which were
for a temperament that was to culminate in "Que covered by the artist with chrome yellow and
Sommes-nous? D'oii Venons-nous? Oil Allons- hung with barbarous weapons and animal skins
nous?" collected during his travels. He gave it to the
One has but to glance at a portrait painted musician, William Molard, who had introduced
some thirteen years later, soon after his return him to Strindberg, and who with his wife, a
from Tahiti, to perceive the meaning of quantita- sculptress, lived on the ground floor of the same
tive color in relation to linear composition, as he house. Gauguin had started a portrait of M.
developed and practised it. Full arabesque re- Molard. He evidently lost interest in it and,
places the meagre curve of the earlier work, reversing the board, painted himself. The incident
straight lines of a happy ordinance stress a rhythm reminds us of Francisco Durrio's criticism of the
that is musical in visual'effect, the harsh upright water-colors in his own choice collection, which
and abrupt transversals no longer distort the har- includes a sketch of Gauguin in his Tahiti cabin,
mony that is carried out in balanced colors pro- his back toward the observer, that "Gauguin had
portioned spatially, echoed and varied through emotion but not technique." It is hard to believe
the pattern of the pareo, the sketch on the wall of that the feeble drawing on one side of the board
"L'Esprit Veille," and the bands of olive-yellow, was followed within a few days by the robust self-
vegetable green, crimson, in the triangle. The characterization on the other. Gauguin himself
similarity in these two compositions gives an remarked on the occasion of his visit to Van Gogh
excellent opportunity to ascertain the richness at Aries that he was slow to respond to new
and originality of Gauguin's personal art as com- themes. The pictural urge with him was not
pared to his exercises, however capable, in Impres- abetted by any appreciable virtuosity, as it is in
sionism. As autobiography, the later work tells a Van Dongen, or a de Segonzac, or, in the oppo-
us much. It was painted at 6 rue Vercingetorix, site camp, a Styka. Flis emotions were involved
may i q 2 5
one nineteen