Buddhist imagery in the work of Paul Gauguin: the impact of primitivism, theology and cultural studies
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Abstract
Scholars attribute aesthetics in Gauguin's work to the 1889 Paris Exposition universelle and Gauguin's quest for the primitive and 'exotic. This study takes a deeper look at Gauguin and examines the personal context in which his works were created. This will show Gauguin's immense suffering and unhappiness as a result of separation from family, financial and health struggles. The personal context of the artists' life, I argue, influenced the appropriation of Buddhist imagery in his work. I examine the visual elements within Gauguin's work that link his subject matter to Buddhism and look closely at several major works, including Nirvana, Self--Portrait, Caribbean Woman, and Te nave nave fenua that clearly appropriate Buddhist imagery. Gauguin's incorporation of mudras, color palettes, and other subject matter express his Buddhist sympathies. His appropriation of formal motifs served his spiritual beliefs just as much as his aesthetic purposes. My research draws on recent scholarship on Gauguin, and utilizes the artist's personal letters and manuscripts. Through these letters I examine Gauguin’s failed marriage, his struggles with health and financial issues and his drive to be an artist. It is in this context of marital conflict and personal struggle that Gauguin's embrace of Buddhist imagery should be understood. Although Buddhist motifs were among many exotic elements appropriated by Gauguin, including PreColumbian, Egyptian, Marquesan, and Tahitian, they alone carried a particular personal significance for the artist
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Abstract -- List of illustrations -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- The personal context of suffering and unhappiness -- Buddhist imagery in the work of Paul Gauguin -- Illustrations -- Bibliography
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MA (Master of Arts)
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Open Access (fully available)