PAUL GAUGUIN
Portrait of Madame
Roulin, 1888
RACHAELFUNNELLtellsthestoryofthe Frenchartist’sturbulenttimeliving
withVanGoghwhen hepaintedthismodestportraitofalocalpostman’swife
ART IN FOCUSWHO WAS PAUL GAUGUIN?
Born in Paris on 7 June 1848, Paul
Gauguin was an experimental artist who
was constantly changing and refining his
practice. His time painting in French
Polynesia, including two stints in Tahiti,
earned him a reputation as an artist who
challenged the Western naturalism that
reigned supreme in the mid-19th century.
WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN
GAUGUIN’S LIFE AT THIS TIME?
Portrait of Madame Roulin was painted
during Gauguin’s short but turbulent
association with Vincent van Gogh. The two
met in Paris in 1887, trading artworks and
later moving to Arles to paint together in
Vincent’s famous Yellow House.
The pair influenced one another greatly,
both switching to a coarse, jute canvas that
encouraged thicker paint application. Their
short cohabitation ended sourly however,
when Gauguin claimed Van Gogh rushed at
him with a blade before cutting off his own
lef t ear.WHO IS IN THIS PAINTING?
The portrait shows Augustine Roulin, the
wife of the local postman, sat in the
foreground. She is obscuring a simplified
rendition of Gauguin’s own painting, Blue
Trees, which is hung on the wall behind her.
Madame Roulin sat for both painters, with
Van Gogh producing his Portrait of
Madame Augustine Roulin. She maintained
eye contact with Gauguin throughout the
sitting, but refrained from looking at Van
Gogh who made her nervous.WHAT WAS DISTINCTIVE ABOUT
GAUGUIN’S STYLE?
Gauguin developed a more expressive
approach to colour, working with bright and
bold hues which he would commit to canvas
in flat, abstract blocks mixed with wax for
extra smoothness.
Figures and shapes were often
exaggerated by dark, contrasting outlines,
such as the heavy Prussian Blue border
around Madame Roulin.WHERE CAN I SEE IT?
Portrait of Madame Roulin will be on display
at the National Gallery this autumn for The
Credit Suisse Exhibition: Gauguin Portraits.
Gauguin Portraits runs from 7 October to
26 January 2020 at the National Gallery,
London WC2. http://www.nationalgallery.org.ukPAUL GAUGUIN,PORTRAIT OF MADAME ROULIN, 1888, OIL ON CANVAS, 49X65.5CM