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?uvre etrangement cerebrale, passionnante, inegale encore, mais jusque dans ses inegalites poignante et superbe. ?uvre douloureuse, car pour la comprendre, pour en ressentir le choc, il faut avoir soi-meme connu la douleur et l'ironie de la douleur, qui est le seuil du mystere. Parfois, elle s'eleve jusqu'a la hauteur d'un mystique acte de foi; parfois, elle s'efface et grimace dans les tenebres du doute. Et, toujours emane d'elle l'amer et violent arome des poisons de la chair. Il y a dans cette ?uvre un melange inquietant et savoureux de splendeur barbare, de liturgie catholique, de reverie indoue, d'imagerie gothique, de symbolisme obscur et subtil; il ya des realites apres et des vols eperdus de poesie, par ou Gauguin cree un art absolument personnel et tout nouveau; art de peintre et de poete, d'apotre et de demon, et qui angoisse.

Paul Gauguin#25

ArtSymbolismSufferingReligion

About this quote

What does it mean?
Gauguin's work is emotionally painful yet powerful, mixing barbaric splendor with religious and romantic elements to create a unique, unsettling art.
In plain terms
His art is painful but strong, mixing barbarism, religion, and romance in a new way.
What can you take from it?
Embrace pain and mix styles for unique art.

Where it applies

  • art analysis
  • biography
  • experience

Putting it to work

  • blend conflicting styles
  • acknowledge pain

Questions to consider

  • What pain drives your art?
  • What mix defines you?

Another view

The work's intensity might be inaccessible to many.

More from Paul Gauguin

  1. Gauguin interests me very much as a man - very much. For a long time now it has seemed to me that in our nasty profession of painting we are most sorely in nee…

    Permalink to quote #24
  2. ll est extraordinaire qu'on puisse mettre tant de mystere dans tant d'eclat.

    Permalink to quote #26
  3. How long have I been here? Henceforward for? I shall not know. For I have been traveling for too long. My bones too weary to remember my age. Hence, how long h…

    Permalink to quote #23

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