Bold yellows, deep reds, earthy greens.
Mysterious women from faraway islands staring back at you with calm, unreadable eyes.
That’s what you get when you step into the world of Paul Gauguin—a painter who literally left it all behind to chase something bigger than comfort: art, truth, paradise.
From Stockbroker to Full-Time Painter (Yep, Seriously)
Gauguin was born in Paris in 1848 but spent part of his childhood in Peru, surrounded by colors and cultures that stuck with him.
As an adult, he was doing everything “right”—successful stockbroker, married with five kids, living comfortably.
But in his mid-30s, he hit the brakes on that life and made a huge decision:
Quit the job. Leave the family. Paint full-time.
At first, he hung around Impressionist circles and learned the ropes. But pretty soon, he realized he needed his own style—and his own space.
So where did he go? Tahiti.
Tahiti: Escape or Homecoming?
In 1891, at the age of 43, Gauguin took off for Tahiti in search of something the Western world couldn't give him—purity, simplicity, meaning.
There, he was drawn to native life, their myths, their rituals, and the natural rhythm of the island.
To him, Tahiti wasn’t just a beautiful place—it was a mirror of everything Western life had lost.
He painted scenes like Women of Tahiti and When Will You Marry?, full of vibrant color and quiet power.
His style became bolder—less about realism, more about emotion, symbolism, and raw expression.
“Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?”
While in Tahiti, Gauguin created his masterpiece—a huge painting with a title that reads more like a philosophical cry than an artwork:
Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?
The painting is packed with symbols, tracing the cycle of life from birth to death.
He called it his “spiritual will.”
It’s messy, emotional, and unforgettable—just like Gauguin himself.
Civilization? No Thanks.
Gauguin wasn’t trying to escape responsibilities. He was pushing back against what he saw as a broken, shallow, industrialized world.
Through his paintings, he rejected the noise of Europe and celebrated the beauty of simplicity, nature, and human instinct.
His style? Intense colors, flattened perspective, exaggerated forms.
He didn’t care if a hand was too big or a body wasn’t “correct.”
What mattered was feeling.
Yes, His Life Became a Novel
Ever heard of The Moon and Sixpence by Somerset Maugham?
It’s based on Gauguin.
A middle-aged man walks away from the “perfect” life to paint in the South Pacific. Sound familiar?
In the story, the moon is a metaphor for artistic dreams, and the sixpence is everyday comfort.
Gauguin chose the moon—and paid the price.
His final years were hard, filled with sickness, money troubles, and isolation.
He died in 1903, at 55, in the Marquesas Islands.
Where Can You See His Work Today?
Gauguin’s paintings are now prized around the world.
You’ll find them in places like the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Met in New York.
His Tahitian works in particular?
They’re not just art—they’re questions, wrapped in color.
Artist. Rebel. Philosopher.
Gauguin didn’t just paint tropical scenes—he challenged what art was supposed to be.
He asked what it means to live, to belong, to be human.
He gave up everything to chase beauty, truth, and something a little wild.
And maybe… just maybe… he found it, out there under the South Pacific sun.