Saturday Art: Paul Gauguin, The Artist Who Couldn’t Escape Himself

Two Nudes on a Tahitian Beach, Paul Gauguin, 1892

Two Women, Paul Gauguin, 1902

What happens when a dream turns out to be an illusion? Today’s 'Saturday  Art' is a study in the artistic journey of the artist, Paul Gauguin who left everything behind in pursuit of paradise, only to find himself more lost than ever. I have used two of his paintings, Two Nudes on a Tahitian Beach (Tahiti, 1892) and Two Women (Marquesas Islands, 1902) and through them wish to show this slow unraveling, a journey from bold idealism to quiet resignation. They reveal a striking reflection of the psychological, artistic, and emotional transformation that he went through over this decade. 

I will first briefly discuss the key aspects of these two paintings. In his earlier, Two Nudes on a Tahitian Beach, Gauguin employs his signature use of flat, bold colors and strong outlines, rejecting naturalistic shading in favour of expressive abstraction. The warm, sunlit hues of the sand and the dark, almost sculptural bodies of the figures create a striking contrast. The painting reflects Gauguin’s romanticized vision of Tahitian life, which he saw as an escape from Western industrialized society. The painting exudes a calm, meditative atmosphere, yet there’s an underlying sense of isolation. The women's expressions are not overtly joyful, suggesting a deeper, perhaps melancholic reflection.

Two Women (1902) was painted in the final year of his life while he was in the Marquesas Islands. It captures the essence of his artistic journey, his fascination with the so-called "primitive", his rejection of European modernity, and his deep but often problematic engagement with Polynesian culture. You will now see the shift to the earthy tones and warm subdued palette and there is a softness to the brushwork that conveys a dreamlike quality. Like many of his later works, this painting has a quieter, more introspective mood compared to the vibrancy of his earlier Tahitian paintings. This work as much of his later works had acquired a quieter, more introspective mood compared to his earlier, more vibrant Tahitian paintings.

Unlike his 1892 work, where women appear more idealized or enigmatic, there’s a naturalness in how these two figures exist within the frame in the 1902 work. There’s little embellishment, no exotic quality, just two women, present in their own space. Their expressions are subdued, almost indifferent, yet deeply human. Painted shortly before his death, Two Women carries a quiet resignation, unlike, Two Nudes on a Tahitian Beach which brims with idealized mystery, this piece feels more grounded, as if Gauguin himself was confronting the reality of his own myth-making and mortality.

To understand this transformation in his art, we must look at the trajectory of his life and the struggles that shaped his vision. Gauguin was a restless seeker, of meaning, of beauty, of escape. His life was marked by a deep dissatisfaction with the constraints of European civilization, leading him to abandon a conventional life in pursuit of what he saw as a more "authentic" existence. His move to Tahiti and later to the Marquesas Islands was driven by a complex mix of artistic ambition, disillusionment, and a desire for reinvention. Initially a stockbroker, Gauguin turned to painting full-time after the financial crash of 1882. He rejected impressionism, feeling it was too focused on surface reality, and instead developed Synthetism, a style that emphasized bold colors, simplified forms, and emotional depth over realistic representation.

When Gauguin arrived in Tahiti in 1891, he expected an untouched paradise, but what he found was a heavily colonized society, deeply affected and transformed by European influence. Instead of the mystical, free-spirited world he had imagined, he saw a place in decline. Yet, he continued to paint as if his vision were real, creating an idealized Polynesia, filled with serene women, lush landscapes, and a dreamlike atmosphere. _Two Nudes on a Tahitian Beach_ is part his famous works from this period, which reflect this paradox; beauty tinged with an underlying tension and unease.

By the time he moved to the Marquesas Islands in 1901, Gauguin’s utopian dream had completely shattered. He was sick (suffering from syphilis, heart disease, and chronic pain), impoverished, and disillusioned. His earlier belief in an untouched paradise had faded, and so had his self-mythology as the "savage artist" living outside civilization. He had also become more embittered, engaging in legal battles with colonial authorities, writing angry letters, and facing near isolation. Two Women (1902) was one of his final paintings that show this psychological shift. Unlike his earlier works, which shimmer with exotic mystique, these paintings feel quieter, heavier. The idealization is gone, there’s no grand symbolism, no mythological overtones, just two women sitting in quiet contemplation. The colours are subdued, the composition less theatrical. There is a stillness, but it’s not the serene stillness of paradise, it’s the stillness of resignation, perhaps even an awareness of his own approaching death.

So while tracing his artistic journey, we see it was one of excess; he abandoned his family, pursued reckless relationships, lived in squalor despite once being a successful stockbroker, and sought artistic inspiration in ways that often exploited those around him. His life was driven by grand ideas, but his actions were often indulgent, selfish, and chaotic. While he sought to create an artistic and personal legacy, by the end, he had lost control of both. His later paintings feel less like grand declarations and more like quiet concessions to reality. They show an artist wrestling with profound questions about existence. Perhaps his final works are not just the result of decadence but also of recognition, recognition that he had failed to bend the world to his vision. To sum it, his journey is one of reluctant surrender rather than triumphant escape.