Gauguin's Garden of Eden?
The Contradiction of Gauguin's Words by His Works in Tahiti
Meghan L. Howard, Princeton University Class of 2008
Gauguin had a curious relationship with religion. Not holding one firm set of beliefs, his religion can best be described as naturalistic and his paintings reflect Christian, Buddhist, and Maori influences, among other religions. In his book entitled Paul Gauguin, Robert Goldwater describes Gauguin as being far from religious in the “ordinary sense” and that he “placed more store in the universal human values common to all religions rather than in the dogmatic traditions of any one” (Goldwater 100) . As a result, in his writings, Gauguin tended to criticize those religions that focused on dogmatic traditions, most especially Christianity. Yet this censure is contradicted by his Tahitian paintings during the Christian missionary colonization of Tahiti. In his writings Gauguin lamented the French missionary influence in Tahiti, but in his paintings his harmonious depictions of Tahitian life suggest that he viewed the missionary presence as an integral part of the Tahitian culture. We see this harmony in his blending of Christian symbolism into the natural beauty of the Tahitian landscape, ultimately suggesting his belief that not only did Christianity and Tahiti exist in harmony, but that Tahiti was enhanced by the presence of Christian missionaries. This contradiction between Gauguin’s words and his paintings raises the question of which best reflects his true feelings — his writings or his art?
Contents
Gauguin's WritingsGauguin's Paintings
A Tahiti Enhanced
Conclusion
Works Cited
About the Author
