Paul Gauguin: An Erotic Life [Hardcover]

Professor Nancy Mowll Mathews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001

In this penetrating and daring biography of Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), Nancy Mowll Mathews traces the themes of sex and violence through the artist's life, from the near-murderous quarrels of his grandparents, to his abusive treatment of his wife, to his sexual encounters in French Polynesia in the 1890s. The book examines how Gauguin used these complex themes in his art and writings and how he carefully presented his erotic life in the autobiographical treatises Noa Noa (1893) and Avant et Apres (1903). The central drama of Gauguin's adulthood, his marriage to Mette Gad Gauguin, is assessed in detail, and with the inclusion of some of Mette's previously unpublished letters, both sides of the Gauguin marriage are presented for the first time. Mathews also provides fascinating new insights into understanding Gauguin's relationships with men and women and the roles that sexuality and aggression played in shaping his art. She also illuminates his homosocial, if not homoerotic, relationships with Vincent van Gogh, Emile Schuffenecker, and Charles Filiger. Gauguin's genius resided not only in his forging of new artistic paths, Mathews concludes, but in his ability to bring his sexual fantasies alive for a large audience.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mathews (Mary Cassatt), curator of the Williams College Museum of Art, has organized notable exhibits of American painting. Given the plethora of titles about the 19th-century French painter Gauguin, a flashy subtitle may have been thought necessary for this new book. Yet Mathews has serious art historical chops and, through 14 chapters, constructs a well-researched narrative about the painter's trajectory, with titles like "Theo and Vincent: Flying Too Close to the Sun." Noting how "central" "sex and violence" were to Gauguin, the author gets a little hung up with her own self-definitions, terming her method "a mixture of pre-Freudian vernacular psychology and postmodern pluralism," adding that she has used "the same commonsense approach" as in her other books. Unable to draw specific conclusions about the painter's personal behavior in bed (gay, straight or otherwise), the author analyzes paintings confusingly, e.g., Young Bretons Bathing, an image of naked boys, is likened to Japanese prints of "courtesans," which it does not resemble. If the focus is fuzzy on some details, and descriptions of individual artworks imprecise, a strong grasp of the basic facts of the artist's life make this a worthwhile title even in a strongly competitive field. (Nov.) Forecast: For gender and erotic issues, Stephen Eisenman's pioneering Gauguin's Skirt (Thames & Hudson) is vastly preferable, but Mathews's book will appeal to readers in search of a serious narrative, apart from those roped in by the suggestive subtitle, who might feel suckered by the scant thrills inside. The book is not directly related to the Art Institute exhibit, but will certainly be on sale in the gift shop there. University libraries are a lock.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A detailed, well-documented, and readable biography." -- Belinda Thomson, author of Gauguin and Gauguin by Himself

"Mathews has serious art historical chops and, through 14 chapters, constructs a well-researched narrative about the painter's trajectory." -- Publisher's Weekly

[This] book. . .serves as a specific case study of the extremes. . .that frequently rule the interior landscapes of creative overachievers. -- Roberta Smith, New York Times Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 1St Edition edition (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300091095
• ISBN-13: 978-0300091090
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,391,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Prejudiced Author, December 25, 2001

By 

Richard Kelton (Santa Monica, Ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paul Gauguin: An Erotic Life (Hardcover)

It is unfortunate when an author approaches his or her subject with such a predetermined perspective that the author's opinions and report of facts becomes suspect. This is clearly the case with Nancy Mathews approach to Paul Gauguin.

She starts with the assumption that he is an abusive and violent man, and selectively views his life to support this distorted view.

Some examples: At p. 66 that author states: "It is not known whether Gauguin beat his children." What an outrageous statement for a purportedly objective biographer to make! It is like the proverbial qustion "When did you stop beating your wife?"

On page 62 as an example of Gauguin's "cruelty" to women is cited the fact that when Gauguin engaged in the Danish custom of men and women bathing nude at the beach he actually looked at a pretty, nude woman.

Also on page 62 the author states that when Gauguin left Denmark and returned to Paris, "Out of spite he took one of the children ..Clovis". The author offers not a sintilla of evidence to back up her statement that this action was spitefully motivated, rather than a natural paternal desire to have one of his sons with him.

Whatever merits the book may otherwise have, this obvious bias of the author makes the entire book suspect.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh approach, January 8, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Paul Gauguin: An Erotic Life (Hardcover)

This book, in its calm, even-handed way, manages to make Paul Gauguin come to life for the first time. Rather than rehash the myths about this man (which, Mathews demonstrates, were started by Gauguin himself), the author goes directly to the primary sources to trace his life and understand his character. It turns out that he did beat his wife and leave her and their five children without financial support. And he treated most of his friends and colleagues with equal heartlessness. But the story does not end there. It goes on to show how even out of such a flawed character great art could arise. This book teaches much about the unpredictability of creative talent.