On 1 April 1891, Paul Gauguin left his native France and set sail for the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia, seeking to escape the civilisation of Europe and "everything that [was] artificial and conventional". First he spent three months in Papeete (the capital of French Polynesia), but as it wasn't as "primitive" as he thought and already affected by European influences, he decided to move to the village of Mataiea, about 45 kilometres from Papeete. Gauguin set up his studio in a traditional-style bamboo hut, where he painted such famous works as Ave Maria (1891), Woman with a Flower (1891) and When Will You Marry? (1892). In 1893, he returned to France, only to depart for Tahiti again two years later. Disillusioned with European society and its art world, he never returned to France again, but spent the rest of his life living and working in French Polynesia. Amidst declining health and increasing poverty, in 1897 he created his monumental painting Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, which he considered his best work. In 1901 —discontented with Tahiti and seeking a more remote and inexpensive place to live— Gauguin moved to Atuona on the Marquesas Islands, where he eventually passed away on 8 May 1903, at the age of 54. He died poor and unrecognised, and only after his death did his work receive the acclaim it deserved. Today, the paintings from his Tahitian period are considered among the finest he ever made.
On 15 March 1891, two weeks before sailing for Tahiti, Gauguin wrote the following letter to the Ministry of Fine Arts, seeking government support for his "artistic mission". Ultimately, he was granted an official mission "to study and paint the customs and landscapes of Tahiti". While the government did not provide Gauguin with financial support, it arranged a reduced fare for his voyage to Tahiti and issued him an official letter of introduction. To pay for his trip and cover other expenses, Gauguin sold many of his paintings and personal belongings. He eventually departed with limited funds, and his years in French Polynesia would be marked by persistent financial problems as well as ill health.
Incidentally, the artist referenced in the letter is possibly Louis Dumoulin, who had applied for a similar mission to Japan in 1887.
Transcript:
15 mars 1891
Monsieur le Ministre
Je désire me rendre à Tahiti afin d’y poursuivre une série de tableaux sur le pays dont j’ai l’ambition de fixer le caractère et la lumière.
J’ai l’honneur de vous demander Monsieur le Ministre de vouloir bien, ainsi qu’il a été fait pour Monsieur Dumoulin, me confier une mission qui, gratuite, faciliterait cependant par les avantages qu’elle entraîne mes études et mon transport.
Agréez, Monsieur le ministre, l’assurance de ma haute considération.
35 rue Delambre
Paul Gauguin
Translation (AI generated):
March 15, 1891
Sir Minister,
I wish to travel to Tahiti in order to pursue a series of paintings of that country, for which I am eager to capture its character and its light.
I have the honour to request, Sir Minister, that you kindly grant me a mission — as was done for Mr. Dumoulin — which, though unpaid, would nevertheless facilitate my studies and travel through the advantages it provides.
Please accept, Sir Minister, the assurance of my highest consideration.
35 rue Delambre
Paul Gauguin
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Source letter: French National Archives
Image via: Wikimedia Commons
Other images from top to bottom:
-Paul Gauguin, photographed circa 1891
-D'où venons-nous? Que sommes-nous? Où allons-nous? / Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? (1897)
-Vahine no te tiare / Woman with a Flower (1891) (left) and Nafea Faa Ipoipo / When Will You Marry? (1892), the latter painting sold at auction in 2014 for nearly US$210 million, one of the highest prices ever paid for a work of art
Source of all images: Wikimedia Commons
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