Description
Paul Gauguin – Portrait of the Artist with the Yellow Christ
| Year of creation: | 1890-1891 |
| Original size: | 46 cm x 30 cm |
| Painting style: | Symbolism |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Located: | Orsey Museum, Paris |
Oil on canvas Portrait of the Artist with the Yellow Christ was painted the evening before Gauguin’s first visit to Tahiti. Oil on canvas is actually a triple portrait in which the artist reveals different sides of his personality. At the time of the creation of this painting, Gauguin was a relatively unknown and misunderstood artist, moreover, at that time his wife had left him, who had returned to Denmark with their children, and Gauguin himself had difficulties in obtaining the proper permits for an official visit to the colonies.
Gauguin himself is the central figure of this oil on canvas, his searing gaze conveying the burden of his troubles at the time and his determination to continue his art. In the background, he added to his portrait two pieces he had painted the year before, placing them opposite each other on the canvas to compete on an aesthetic and symbolic level.
