Final Museum Paper (Draft)

In this final museum paper I will focus on two distinct works of the postimpressionism movement completed by artist Paul Gauguin. The earlier design Fatata te Miti (By the Sea), 1892, oil on canvas will be compared and contrasted with the later completed design titled The Bathers, 1897, oil on canvas, within the context of such specified guidelines as: subject, design, mood, mediums and techniques, and style. As a French native during the historical period of the Industrial Revolution, Gauguin reviled the deterioration of humanity as it moved further away from core values and more towards a narcissistic society (Getlein 500). The Postimpressionism movement is conveniently used to encompass multiple generations of artists whose compositions reject some of the more restrictive “realities” depicted by impressionism (The Columbia Encyclopedia). Thriving in France between 1880 to about 1910 artists’ such as Paul Gauguin used forms of expression in designs to expose audiences to broader representation of existence. In efforts to expose human kind to its deficiencies, Paul Gauguin, relied on his trademark style of using vivid colors such as brilliant shades of pinks, oranges, and purples (commonly classified as tropical colors) in addition to bold contour lines to create more “primitive” cultures that promoted a return to his idealized basics of life (National Gallery of Art).

The subjects of both works are indigenous inhabitants of the Southern Pacific Islands, more specifically Tahitian natives, in themes concentrated on daily life and attributed to the Here and Now. The purpose of the works therefore assists in promoting an idealized way of life as compared to a more modernized society. In, Fatata te Miti (By the Sea), Tahitian figures are presented actively participating in recreational activities (swimming and fishing) while enjoying the natural resources that are visually abundant (as there are no unoccupied areas of canvas within the design). The subordination or ability to create less visual areas – with the use of dark greens and blues in the forest - is vital in emphasizing (or bringing into focus) the figures and how their weight (lightness of color against the darker background) creates a natural element of visual unity (Getlein 132-33). Whilst in The Bathers, similar Tahitian inhabitants bathe themselves in the natural waters of an unindustrialized landscape. There is no appearance of industrialization - just the tranquility of nature - as vegetation flourishes all around. Contour lines that are used to define the female figures also assist in creating boundaries to which the river touches the Earth yet flows gently enough (through the use of diagonal lines) for one to stand. Trees sprout upward as a marker of time (the tree in the rear appears older and has less intensity - the color is much duller than that of the tree towards the foreground). The nude figures spring forward in the work as their value (or darkness in color) is a striking contrast to the sea of which they bathe and grass of which they sit and stand (Getlein 92).

In the painting, Fatata te Miti (By the Sea), the composition seems to readily embrace the design concept of subordination – by which dark values (or black in particular) creates hidden spaces that encourage further exploration. As more than half of this design is composed of hidden space viewers may be encouraged to venture off into the dark (black) the forest. The figures are more prominent as compared to the latter composition and they stand out more as the focal point as they form a splash of rich brown color against the dramatic black background. Nonetheless the rear figure adds even more vivid colors as she removes her complementary colored clothing – consisting of an intense blue and bright orange - prior to entering the sea. The ability of to manage the visual weight or heaviness of the dark (black) background in contrast to the brilliantly tropical colored (hot pink, vibrant purple, and bright orange) of the sands and flowers is wondrous. The painting, The Bathers, has a visually apparent design element of unity as a harmony is created between the tropical landscape and the figures bathing at the sea line. The partially clothed and unclothed figures appear at ease in nature as they take advantage of one of Earth’s most valuable resources - water. Unlike the former, the rhythm or reoccurring patterns of subtle pinks and oranges cover the soil while lavender waters gently cascade nearby further promote an emphasis placed on the darker brown hues of the main figures (Getlein 140). The Bathers also uses thin contour lines to reinforce images of the figures as focal points even as they seem to naturally coexist with the all encompassing land.

The artists’ use of color plays a significant role to create a mood of serenity. The relaxed atmosphere is also similarly represented with the existence of the balance between that land, the water, and the inhabitants. Yet in Fatata te Miti (By the Sea), the women are depicted enjoying the warm tropical weather - although there is no appearance of sun - the bright pink and purple sands that create the shoreline in additional to the vivid appearance of fully bloomed orange and red blossoms lead one to believe that the sun nourishes this land quite frequently. The woman sparsely covered by a sarong of complementary colors (blue with orange triangles) plunge into the inviting sea as a fisherman with an ready spear (diagonally placed to demonstrate action) has a uncovered brown chest that contracts with the bright red of the cloth surrounding his waist (Getlein 85). But The Bathers functions more as a split composition of both warm and cool colors to represent the sea and the land respectively. The sea is created as the cool colors of whites, blues, purples, and greens gently flow into the scene from highest right corner and trail off into the landscape where the warm tones of reds, yellows, and oranges are represented. The use lighter hues (shades) that represent softer colors encourage unity or visual harmony within the work while more darker and intense representations are visible in the former.

The medium - liquid that holds the pigments together without dissolving them - in both works discussed is oil (Gauguin, 164). Both works Fantata te Miti (By the Sea) and The Bathers also use canvas as a support to hold the medium. In Fantata te Miti (By the Sea) the paint is heavy and thick. There are no empty spaces of canvas as the technique of thick and loaded (full of paint) yet hidden brush strokes allow the design to express the landscape literally while emphasizing the activity of the three figures. In The Bathers however, the consistencies of oil is more varied – the trees are formed using heavy, thick, and hidden strokes while the flowers and soil have thin coats (layered or an impasto technique) is used with more apparent brush strokes (Gauguin. 171). This composition is able to grasp the more subtle hues and pastels as the figures participate in an almost ritualistic custom of bathing. The texture of this design is also a necessity in conveying the flow of water, the lush landscape, and the serenity of the figures.

The style of Fantata te Miti (By the Sea) is stylized - as it focuses on the main figures while using simple lines to create their limbs and subtle curves to form and highlight the feminine qualities of the women. Paul Gauguin is regarded very highly for his trademark style of using vivid colors (brilliant shades of pinks, oranges, and purples) commonly classified as tropical colors in addition to designs centered on the more “primitive” cultures (National Gallery of Art). The Bathers is also stylized, although the four female figures are more distorted in appearance. Gauguin’s trademarked style in respect to his vibrant use of color is softer with a more glazed appearance and use of open palette, his use of thick bold lines are replaced with less intense contour lines to define the figures, and his typical thick and heavy brush strokes are substituted with smaller brush strokes - the figures appear more serene and ritualistic as created by the use of light (National Gallery of Art).

I was immediately drawn to the brilliant and vibrant colors within the paintings of Paul Gauguin. The intensity of his use of complementary colors also allows his works to fully express the apparent lush landscape and the beauty of its indigenous inhabitants. It was not until I further explored the work of the artist through the previously expressed specified guidelines that I was able to fully appreciate how dedicated he was to the role of making society more aware of its lack of substance. Yet it is somewhat disheartening to fully grasp the idea that he relinquished himself of material possessions in a quest to find “true” mankind but upon arriving in the South Seas he found Tahiti had been “westernized” (National Gallery of Art). Gauguin thus used available models and publications to recreate on canvas a time he so desperately desired to encompass. With that stated, his works of this period have such a different impact on me now after my exploration that initially, because now I not only see the vivid colors or indigenous people - but I see a man in self reflection within a world of uncertainly. I wonder if he realized that he had somewhat become the creator of a “distorted reality” - just as those of whom he so desperately sought to abandon as he ventured further into his quest for “simplicity”.