Technique and Meaning in the Paintings of Paul Gauguin

This title provides a new interpretation of Gauguin's art. Reconstructing the artist's changing painting techniques, Jirat-Wasiutynski and Newton demonstrate that Gauguin's technical choices were meaningful. Examining the artist's work during a critical formative period, they demonstrate the impact of Impressionistic artistic practice and critical debate on his achievements. Beginning in 1886, Gauguin produced monumental figure paintings using full-scale cartoons to prepare them in a manner similar to that of the Quattrocento fresco painters. In the following years, brushwork and impasto disappeared from his paintings, as Gauguin began to imitate wax, tempera and fresco, producing works that contemporaries described as 'primitive'. Indeed, the authors argue, Gauguin's experimentation with the look of oil painting was deliberate and signaled a rejection of modern Western culture and society. Using Gauguin as a case study, Jirat-Wasiutynski and Newton argue that use of historical painting techniques has specific cultural meanings.

Customer reviews

Product details

• Date Published: March 2000
• format: Hardback
• isbn: 9780521642903
• length: 312 pages

• dimensions: 212 x 263 x 24 mm
• weight: 1.165kg
• contains: 93 b/w illus. 14 colour illus.
• availability: Unavailable - out of print December 2008