Customer Reviews

Paul Gauguin: An Erotic Life

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.