The Milkmaid by
Tempura on Canvas
1889
Private Collection
(http://www.gauguingallery.com/zz_maternity.aspx)
Artist Quote:
"Life is hardly more than a
fraction of a second. Such a little time to prepare oneself for eternity!" ~
Biographical information:
Paul Gauguin was born in Paris on June 7, 1848. He became an important figure in the Symbolist art movement of the early 1900's. Gauguin painted his own creative vision as an Impressionist, with no formal art training. It is said that the the artists who's significantly impacted his work were Vincent van Gogh, Emile Bernard, Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne, and Camille Pissarro. (http://www.gauguingallery.com/artistic-influences.aspx)
Paul Gauguin was born in Paris on June 7, 1848. He became an important figure in the Symbolist art movement of the early 1900's. Gauguin painted his own creative vision as an Impressionist, with no formal art training. It is said that the the artists who's significantly impacted his work were Vincent van Gogh, Emile Bernard, Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne, and Camille Pissarro. (http://www.gauguingallery.com/artistic-influences.aspx)
Gauguin was born in Paris,
but his family moved to Peru when he was a young child. His journalist father
died on the journey to South America. Eventually returning to France, Gauguin
took to the seas as a merchant marine. He was also in the French Navy for a
time, and then worked as a stockbroker. In 1873, he married a Danish woman
named Mette Gad. The couple eventually had five children together.
Gauguin began painting in his spare time as a stockbroker, but after meeting artist Camille Pissarro his work attracted the interest of the Impressionists. The Impressionists were a group of revolutionary artists who challenged traditional methods and subjects, and had been largely rejected by the French art establishment. Gauguin was invited to show
at the group's fourth exhibition in 1879, and his work appeared among the works
of Pissarro, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and other artistic greats.(http://www.biography.com/people/paul-gauguin-9307741)
Gauguin soon parted ways from his
wife and children, and eventually went to Brittany, France. In 1888, Gauguin
created one of his most famous paintings, "Vision of the Sermon." The
boldly colored work showed the Biblical tale of Jacob wrestling with the angel.
The following year, Gauguin painted "The Yellow Christ," a striking
portrayal of the crucifixion of Jesus. He contracted syphilis most likely from his alternative lifestyle. (http://www.biography.com/people/paul-gauguin-9307741)
In 1888, Gauguin and van
Gogh spent several weeks together at van Gogh's home in Arles, but their time
together ended after van Gogh pulled a razor on Gauguin during an argument.
That same year, Gaugin produced the now-famous oil painting "Vision After
the Sermon."
In 1891, Gauguin sought to
escape the constructions of European society, and he thought that Tahiti might
offer him some type of personal and creative freedom. Upon moving to Tahiti,
Gauguin was disappointed to find that French colonial authorities had
westernized much of the island, so he chose to settle among the native peoples,
and away from the Europeans living in the capital.
Around this time, Gauguin
borrowed from the native culture, as well as his own, to create new, innovative
works. In "La Orana Maria," he transformed the Christian figures of
the Virgin Mary and Jesus into a Tahitian mother and child. Gauguin made many
other works during this time, including a carved sculpture called
"Oviri"—a word that originated from the Tahitian word for
"savage," although, according to Gauguin, the sculpted female figure
was actually a portrayal of a goddess. Known to have a predilection for young
girls, Gauguin became involved with a 13-year-old Tahitian girl, who served as
a model for several of his paintings.
In 1893, Gauguin returned
to France to show some off his Tahitian pieces. The response to his artwork was
mixed, and he failed to sell much. Critics and art buyers didn't know what to
make his primitivist style. Before long, Gauguin returned to French Polynesia.
He continued to paint during this time, creating one of his later
masterpieces—the canvas painting "Where Do We Come From? What Are We?
Where Are We Going?" is Gauguin's depiction of the human life cycle.
In 1901, Gauguin moved to
the more remote Marquesas Islands. By this time, his health had been declining;
he had experienced several heart attacks, and continued to suffer from his
advancing case of syphilis. On May 3, 1903, Gauguin died at his isolated island
home, alone. He was nearly out of money at the time—it wasn't until after his
death that Gauguin's art began receiving great acclaim, eventually influencing
the likes of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.
Artist’s Statement/Art Critic:
Gauguin wrote about his
thoughts on art and color saying “How do you see these trees? They are yellow.
So, put in yellow; this shadow, rather blue, paint it with pure ultramarine;
these red leaves? Put in vermilion” and "I observed the play of shadows
and lighting in no way gave a colored equivalent to light ... what could be its
equivalent? Pure color! It is our imagination which makes the picture when we
confront nature." (http://www.gauguingallery.com/gauguins-influence-on-matisse.aspx)
Feminists
have justifiably given the Parisian a good hammering down the years. After
dumping his wife and five kids, Gauguin upped sticks to Martinique, Brittany,
Arles (where he spent nine notorious weeks with van Gogh in 1888), and finally
the South Pacific islands of Tahiti and Hiva Oa. He took three native brides –
aged 13, 14 and 14, for those keeping score – infecting them and countless
other local girls with syphilis. He always maintained there were deep-rooted
ideological reasons for his emigration, that he was quitting decadent Paris for
a purer life in a fecund South Seas paradise, but one wonders how pure things
really were in the hut he christened La Maison du Jouir (“The House of Orgasm”).
Elements of art:
Gauguin uses bold colors, exaggerated body proportions and stark contrasts in his paintings.
The bold color choices connect the artists emotions and his interest in the revolutionary movement as an Impressionist. His simplified body forms and strong lines give his art a sense of strength in an unique vision. It was his vision as he closed his eyes and imagined the landscape.
Connection:
I originally chose this painting because as a mother most often feel like just a source of milk for the baby. I have often heard mothers refer themselves as "the milkmaid." Many mothers often become disconnected from their bodies and feel as if they are only a source of food and forget about the spiritual and emotional connection. As I read about this artist, he too, forgot about his the spiritual and emotional family connection as he left his wife and five children to live a life of promiscuity.
A mother has a responsibility to a child to nurture and feed them. Children are defenseless against the world and depend on the mother to pave the path for them. They need a mother to survive and succeed. This painting is a reminder that we are not only the milk provider but their success in life, their happiness, and who they depend on the most. Just as we depend on our land and animals to provide our food.
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