Paul Gauguin.

Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin

Born 7 Jun 1848 Paris, France

Died 9 May 1903 Atuona

Citizenship France

8 min read

Reading time

1,503

Words

Apr 29, 2026

Published

Film credits

TL;DR

Paul Gauguin, born in Paris in 1848, abandoned a stockbroker career after the 1874 Impressionist exhibition. He moved to Tahiti in 1891 to escape civilization and developed synthetic symbolism, creating works including Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? 1897. Gauguin died in 1903 in the Marquesas Islands at age 54.

Identity & family.

KIN · 8

Names, aliases, and relatives of Paul Gauguin — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin

Parents: Aline Chazal Clovis Gauguin
Spouses: Mette Sophie Gad
Children: Clovis Gauguin Jean René Gauguin Pola Gauguin Émile Gauguin Emile Gauguin

At a glance.

STATS

Paul Gauguin by the numbers — life, work, and family.

54 Years lived

8 Film credits

1 Marriage

5 Children

Who was Paul Gauguin?

BIOGRAPHY

Paul Gauguin — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

Paul Gauguin’s father, Clovis Gauguin, a Republican editor, died en route to Peru after fleeing Louis Napoleon. His widowed mother, Aline Chazal, raised him in Lima, Peru until 1855. Returning to France, Gauguin studied at the lycée Pothier in Orleans before joining the Merchant Marine in 1865, sailing between France and South America for six years.

Career

Gauguin debuted at the Paris Salon in 1876, and participated in Impressionist exhibitions in 1879, 1880, and 1882. After the bank employing him faltered in 1884, he became a full-time artist. In 1888, he lived with Vincent van Gogh in Arles, but their volatile friendship ended after van Gogh cut off his ear in December. After an 1891 exhibition where Edgar Degas bought his paintings, Gauguin sailed to Tahiti, where he developed synthetic symbolism, simplifying compositions into ornamental forms. His 1897 painting Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? now resides in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Personal life

Gauguin married Mette Sophie Gad in 1873, but after financial struggles and moves to Rouen and Copenhagen, they separated in 1885; she took their five children to her family. In Tahiti, Gauguin fathered a son with his model Pau’ura and a daughter with Vaa’oho. He faced colonial legal troubles, including a three-month prison sentence, before dying of a heart attack on May 9, 1903 in Atuona, Marquesas Islands.

Legacy

Gauguin’s radical simplifications and symbolic use of color influenced modern art movements, particularly primitivism and symbolism. His Tahitian works, such as Arearea 1892 and philosophical Where Do We Come From?, challenged Western artistic conventions. Posthumously, his paintings are held in major institutions like the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and his life inspired films including the 1950 documentary Gauguin. He is most remembered for pioneering a style that defied civilization in pursuit of raw, untamed expression.

Filmography.

FILMS · 8

The complete filmography of Paul Gauguin — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

Movie

Gauguin: a Dangerous Life

2019
Movie

Gauguin from the National Gallery, London

2019
Movie

Gauguin

1950
Movie

Vincent Van Gogh: a Stroke of Genius

1997
Movie

Van Gogh Vs. Gauguin

2022
Movie

Rebel in Paradise

1960
Movie

Paul Gauguin, Je Suis Un Sauvage

2017
Movie

Vincent Van Gogh

2021

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 15

A wall of memorable lines from Paul Gauguin — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

Art Is Either Plagiarism or Revolution.
We Never Really Know What Stupidity Is Until We Have Experimented on Ourselves.
I Shut My Eyes in Order to See.
The History of Modern Art Is Also the History of the Progressive Loss of Art’s Audience. Art Has Increasingly Become the Concern of the Artist and the Bafflement of the Public.
Life Is Hardly More Than a Fraction of a Second. Such a Little Time to Prepare Oneself for Eternity!
It Is the Eye of Ignorance That Assigns a Fixed and Unchangeable Color to Every Object; Beware of This Stumbling Block.
There Is Always a Heavy Demand for Fresh Mediocrity. in Every Generation the Least Cultivated Taste Has the Largest Appetite.
Life Has No Meaning Unless One Lives It with a Will, at Least to the Limit of One’s Will. Virtue, Good, Evil Are Nothing but Words, Unless One Takes Them Apart in Order to Build Something with Them; They Do Not Win Their True Meaning Until One Knows How to Apply Them.
Art Requires Philosophy, Just as Philosophy Requires Art. Otherwise, What Would Become of Beauty?
Life Being What It Is, One Dreams of Revenge.
Concentrate Your Strengths Against Your Competitor’s Relative Weaknesses.
Stressing Output Is the Key to Improving Productivity, While Looking to Increase Activity Can Result in Just the Opposite.
Many Excellent Cooks Are Spoilt by Going into the Arts.
In Art, All Who Have Done Something Other Than Their Predecessors Have Merited the Epithet of Revolutionary; and It Is They Alone Who Are Masters.
Civilization Is What Makes You Sick.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 34

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Paul Gauguin.

When was Paul Gauguin born?

Paul Gauguin was born on June 7, 1848 in Paris, France. He was named Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin.
Where was Paul Gauguin born?

Paul Gauguin was born in Paris, France. His father was a Republican editor and his mother was of Peruvian Creole descent.
When did Paul Gauguin die?

Paul Gauguin died on May 9, 1903. He passed away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands at the age of 54.
How old was Paul Gauguin when he died?

Paul Gauguin was 54 years old at the time of his death. He died of a heart attack in 1903.
Where did Paul Gauguin die?

Paul Gauguin died in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Atuona.
How did Paul Gauguin die?

Paul Gauguin died of a heart attack. He had been sentenced to three months in prison but died before serving his term.
What was Paul Gauguin's birth name?

Paul Gauguin’s full birth name was Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin. He was born in Paris on June 7, 1848.
What does Paul Gauguin do for a living?

Paul Gauguin worked as a Writer and in the Art Department. He is best known as a post-impressionist painter.
What nationality is Paul Gauguin?

Paul Gauguin was French. He was born in Paris and spent his early childhood in Peru.
Who are Paul Gauguin's parents?

Paul Gauguin’s parents were Aline Chazal and Clovis Gauguin. His father was a Republican editor who died on a voyage to Peru.
Who is Paul Gauguin married to?

Paul Gauguin was married to Mette Sophie Gad. They married in 1873 and separated in 1885.
Does Paul Gauguin have children?

Yes, Paul Gauguin had five children: Clovis, Jean René, Pola, Émile, and another Émile or Emile. He also fathered two children with Tahitian models.
Where did Paul Gauguin go to school?

Paul Gauguin attended the lycée Pothier in Orleans, France. He later joined the Merchant Marine at age 17.
How tall was Paul Gauguin?

Paul Gauguin was 5 feet 4 inches 1.63 meters tall. This is considered short for a man of his era.
What is Paul Gauguin best known for?

Paul Gauguin is best known for his post-impressionist paintings and his 1950 documentary Gauguin.
Why did Paul Gauguin move to Tahiti?

Gauguin moved to Tahiti in 1891 to escape civilization and live with ecstasy, calmness and art. He financed the trip with an exhibition where Edgar Degas bought his works.
What art style did Paul Gauguin create?

Gauguin called his style synthetic symbolism. It featured radical simplifications of composition and an ornamental character.
Who influenced Paul Gauguin's art?

Gauguin was influenced by Camille Pissarro and Paul Cezanne, whom he met in 1874. He also drew inspiration from primitive Polynesian art.
What was Paul Gauguin's relationship with Vincent van Gogh?

Gauguin and van Gogh became friends in 1886. Gauguin lived with van Gogh in Arles in 1888, but their cooperation ended after van Gogh cut off his ear following an argument.
What happened during Gauguin's stay with van Gogh?

In December 1888, van Gogh attacked Gauguin with a razor but stopped himself; he then cut off part of his own ear. Gauguin left Arles permanently after this incident.
What is Paul Gauguin's most famous painting?

Gauguin’s most famous painting is Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? 1897. It is held in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Did Paul Gauguin have any legal problems?

Yes, Gauguin was fined by the colonial administration and sentenced to three months in prison for his conflicts with the Catholic church. He died before serving the sentence.
When did Paul Gauguin separate from his wife?

Gauguin and his wife Mette Sophie Gad separated in 1885. She took their five children and returned to her family in Denmark.
How many children did Gauguin have with Tahitian models?

Gauguin fathered a son with Pau’ura and a daughter with Vaa’oho. He adopted the traditional lifestyle of the native community.
What was Paul Gauguin's early career before art?

Before becoming an artist, Gauguin worked as a stockbroker in Paris after his time in the Merchant Marine. He also spent 17,000 francs on Impressionist paintings.
When did Paul Gauguin start painting?

Gauguin began painting seriously after seeing the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874. He debuted at the Salon in 1876.
Which Impressionist exhibitions did Gauguin participate in?

Gauguin participated in the Impressionist exhibitions of 1879, 1880, and 1882. He also met Pissarro and Cezanne during this period.
Where is Paul Gauguin buried?

Gauguin is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Atuona, Hiva’Oa, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. He died there on May 9, 1903.
What did Gauguin do after his wife left him?

After his wife left in 1885, Gauguin fell into depression and attempted suicide. He then dedicated himself fully to art.
Who was Paul Gauguin's father?

Gauguin’s father, Clovis Gauguin, was a Republican editor. He died on a ship to Peru while escaping Louis Napoleon’s regime.
Where did Gauguin spend his childhood?

Gauguin spent his early childhood in Lima, Peru from 1848 to 1855. He then returned to France and studied in Orleans.
What was Gauguin's mother's background?

Gauguin’s mother, Aline Chazal, was a Peruvian Creole and the daughter of writer Flora Tristan. She raised him in Lima after her husband’s death.
What school did Gauguin attend in France?

Gauguin attended lycée Pothier in Orleans. He later joined the French navy and the Merchant Marine.
What is Gauguin's legacy in art?

Gauguin’s synthetic symbolism influenced modern primitivism and symbolism. His works including Where Do We Come From? are considered masterpieces of post-impressionism.

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Sophia has 4 years of editorial experience and a habit of becoming the person any team leans on when they need to know where something stands. At Famousy, she manages the content pipeline, coordinates reviews, and handles the detail work that keeps a large editorial operation from falling apart. She reads a lot of profiles in the process and she's developed a sharp instinct for when something doesn't feel right. She flags it. It usually is.

Published on April 29, 2026

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Paul Gauguin.

TL;DR

Early life

Career

Personal life

Legacy

Gauguin: a Dangerous Life

Gauguin from the National Gallery, London

Gauguin

Vincent Van Gogh: a Stroke of Genius

Van Gogh Vs. Gauguin

Rebel in Paradise

Paul Gauguin, Je Suis Un Sauvage

Vincent Van Gogh