Gauguin, Paul – Cake Hermitage ~ part 04

Description of Paul Gauguin’s painting "Pie"

Gauguin’s work represents something different from the usual realities. His paintings have an unconventional approach to color, lines, and saturation in general. This kind of approach to the works became the standout style of the artist.

Another characteristic feature of Gauguin becomes a certain monumentality of his works. In other words - where, it would seem, the movement is inevitable, reigns peace and tranquility. The artist spoke of this as a way of connecting man to nature.

In all this there is a Gauguin protest, which can be justified if you get to know his life.

He was born into a decent journalist’s family, educated, traveled, then took a job in a bank in France, got a wife and children, of whom the artist had five. Later, Gauguin acquired a collection of paintings, which were the beginning of his creative path. It would seem that the standards of a bourgeois family are met. However, immediately after the passion for art, the artist leaves his job. Such a forced measure spoke of the seriousness of his intentions with regard to creativity. But the lack of work forced the man to fundamentally change his way of life. He leaves his wife and children in Copenhagen and leaves to wander, literally.

Speaking of the recognition of society, the artist achieved this only after his death. He devoted his life to paints and canvases, painting the world in his own way. One of the brightest examples of such works was the painting "Pie".

It is worth paying attention to the unnatural colors of the elements: earth, sky, water. Human silhouettes in the work are depicted in an ancient Egyptian way: here there is a simplification of lines, and the depiction of characters in profile and a bent arm often found in the drawings of Egypt. This can also include the unnaturalness of the poses. Such a vision of creativity and became the hallmark of Paul Gauguin, but only many years later.