Gauguin: The Master, the Monster, the Myth

by Flemming Friborg (Editor), Paul Gauguin (Artist)

A conceptually bold and beautifully designed reappraisal of Gauguin as both "Master" and "Monster."

Hailed as a pivotal figure of early modernist art yet also long denounced for his personal conduct, Paul Gauguin (1848–1903) remains an ambiguous figure. Recent intensified debate around gender and colonialism has placed him under renewed scrutiny for his alleged sexual relations with prepubescent girls and the part he played in colonialist misdemeanors during his French Polynesian sojourns. Yet top auction prices and undiminished interest in his oeuvre uphold Gauguin’s celebrity status.

Danish art historian and curator Flemming Friborg reveals the fascinating story of the artist’s life and times in and around the circle of Impressionists and Symbolists, as well as his travels in France, Denmark, and Tahiti, by analyzing hitherto neglected material and themes. This handsomely designed volume visually maps Gauguin’s intricate web of influences, linking painterly, musical and literary traces throughout his artistic output and writings. It is an attempt to approach the artist and his work from new angles, in order to align the seemingly disparate traits in Gauguin and to present an image which accommodates both the Master and the Monster.