The Letters of Paul Gauguin

T H E LETT ERS

PAUL GAUGU I N

T O GEORGES DA N I EL DE MON FREI D

TRANSLATED BY RUT H PI ELKOVO

FOREWORD BY

FREDERI CK O’BRI EN

N EWYORK

DODD, MEAD AN D COMP AN Y 1922

FOREWORD

’ BY FREDERI CK O BRIEN

A decade ago I began to live in the lonely places in the South Seas where Gauguin passed the last dozen years of

r u t t r t . his o red life, and where he died in w e chedness I had as neighbors both in Tahiti and in the Marquesas Islands t t men and women, whi e, na ive and Chinese, who had known th e painter . Few of them knew anything of his fame or e t onl t his care r, and so hey spoke of him y as a s range

rt He t ul. a is , a friend, an enemy, or a lost so had been

ten I u t t et dead years when came pon his former habi a , y t a u t t t his servan rec lled him vag ely, his mis ress apa he ically, the tr tu an ader admiringly, one missionary fac ally, and

t tt t . o her bi erly, and a chief with regre

a e I se rched for his grave on Calvary, th lonely hill

the in but i not above village which he died alone, t was u t t . t t t e marked Cocoan s grew in ha neglec ed spo , and th

u - th hibisc s was blood red on e ominous earth . Somewhere in the half-acre was the dust of Gauguin which perhaps nourished the living beauty of the blossoms as his art had revived humanity in painting . To the last breath he had

re t t art at been a bel agains conven ion in life and , and least his body must pay the penalty of obscurity even in

t t u s u ut dea h, ho gh his o l spoke from his canvases all abo u B t t n . I the world . even hese are a few o ly t may be vi FOREWORD

that the eff ect of his attitude towards art and life on his contempora ries and on succeeding generations shall be at t tu t but gre er han his ac al achievemen s, these were not

t t f or ott n s riking, and are almos g e except by the sdattered wn tu o ers of his pic res .

’ u u t ut r t Ga g in s whole life as a pain er was an o c y, almos u t t a c rse, agains ma erialism, against accepted success ; t t . e e agains laws, morals, money, cri ics and clerics Y t th bulk of his letters herewith are desperate pleas for a

tt u to ul t li le money ; for eno gh keep body and so toge her,

t t t t o and for ma erials for pain ing. Con en ed t have had ﬁf ty dollars a month and to have let anyone else make the

roﬁts the rt t to o t t ut p n a is was condemned g mon hs wi ho a t to to cen , beg, and work as a day laborer for his bread .

l H e u no ﬁerce He was a tortured sou. co ld t control his t t t t appe i es, and his body decayed for many years, so ha

in tu it the when he died A ona , was merely breaking of a But u cord long worn almost to severance . his co rage was d u t . t afﬂicte nfal ering Harassed by policeman and bries ,

t tu r by errible pain , in a faraway isle where his pic res we e

triﬂes to hi ellows t not u mad s f , wi h a single h man being u t him u t who nders ood and cared for , he fo gh every weak

t r t t ness or condition that in e fered wi h his pain ing .

r He was a t emendous individualist ; an example, of

t t t the t t z s reng h agains powers of disin egra ion , of organi ed H t to u r . e socie y, hardly be fo nd in mode n years aban doued one by one every hold on ordinary things in order

m and t the t t to be the savage he ade his goal , despi e cer ain y m that he would not survive the attain ent . FOREWORD vii

Gauguin hated what lif e has come to mean in civiliza ti He ll hi in e on . spi ed s energy in bitter blows aga st th

t t ru his it t nu s eel shield of socie y, and b ised spir con i ally

stru a t t tr to r in vain ggles ag ins reali ies, which he ied p ove H t ghosts . e was fauled to a degree that rendered him

ut unﬁt to t the tructur t e absol ely be a s one in s e, and so

ected but ﬁercel in t e j rejoicing y his separa eness, he mad himself into a monument of isolated and mysterious per s

To me he is one of the most heartening men I know of .

t ut c to his i As a pain er he was absol ely ne essary age, wh ch

t cientiﬁc i was fast hardening in o a wretched s prec sion,

t r t and which had abandoned simplici y and b ead h. As a

um incred to the h an being, he evinced an ible aversion ma

efi cienc t t t u t tr e chine y ha he ho gh was des oying th race, — and he fought this threat of annihilation as he believed with a tenacity and an unselfishness that must light a flame in the rt t t u it i uuin in hea s of all hinkers, ho gh k lled Ga g

o m t ut middle age . Unable t adjust hi self to any hing abo him et in the ut i onl , i her in Europe or So h Se he y elded y to at t t l u o him m in at his de h, and ha sto e p n as he s s il g wn h o plig t.

I L L U ST RA TI ON S

Paul Gauguin (A Self Portrait ) PAWG PAGI

rana aria ar I Sa ute You I a O M (M y, l )

Glass Painting

’ — — D oii Venons-nous Que Sommes -nous O ii Allons-nous ? 94

Natives of Tahiti

“ ” Where Do We Come From?

” What Are We ?

” Where Do We Go ?

PA L —AET - U GAUGUIN . 1 43

The tt r the t t u u u is le e s of grea pain er Pa l Ga g in, to h

riend and ellow- t t Ge dc nf r i f f ar is orges Daniel Mo e d,

t e riendshi s t r t reveal one of hose de p f p which, whe he exis ing among those distinguished in the world of letters or of art t i u , or among more simple and less gif ed ndivid als, seem to mark its possessors with a certain vivid fascina

I rie d hi t . t n s not t its ut ion was a f p roman ic in o er aspects, — and barren of fervent protestations yet to Gauguin it t t ut t rt t mean , wi ho exaggera ion, his a is ic life . For Daniel de Monf reid was the man who made what little ease and

r u t the t . He comfo he ever had in So h Seas, possible was

nk u He t his friend, his ba er and his co nsellor. in erviewed ’ r un r t riend s tu deale s, d ned c edi ors, sold his f pic res and

t t tu r exhibi ed hem in his own s dio ; ran e rands for him, ’ d t th rt t t to provide him wi h every ing, from a is s ma erials

- t ﬂower seeds and shoes and s rings for his mandolin . And ’ without his help Gauguin s life in the South Seas could barely have lasted out a year. ’ u u e Ga g in s work, as he himself realised , is shadow d ﬁlm by the tragedy of unf ul ent. His was not a com

leted art f or r to the t t p , he neve gave world wha he migh ha the r u t his e have given, d ci c ms ances of life be n more

t a t to fortunate. In his he himself may h ve been par ly

i u ri He d the n u l ends. blame . lacke k ack of mak ng sef f And he lacked the worldly cleverness of turning to his 9 10 THE IE I'I 'ERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN own advantage the vanities and the pretentions of the ar

r u and i i r . t t too t st c powe s of his day For ha he was p o d,

ha too t mtuu . per ps, con e p o s “ ’ I lest ext raordinaire quon puisse matt e tan: dc mys ’ ” ’ e a u d cl So e rote u u tér d mta t é ot . Mallarm w of Ga g in s

An the ar t u not his a nl but a nti . d e rt p i ng words r e, of o y, in his so—t t u u t st n a way of life al ha nq ie re less existe ce, curving so topsy-turvily past the uneventfuland outwardly

n orat It ui u ate placid lives of his co temp ies . was a c r o s f which led the rich and pampered boy to those years of s rvi the r t r to the u ur e ce in French Me chan Ma ine, l x y and “ respectability of a French stock-broker and pére dc ia ” mille to the u i unt , drab sq alor of a shabby Bohem an, ha in the é the u t ha rt t g caf s of Q ar ier, a nger of adve isemen s “ ” the C duN our ls sauver d c mourir de aim of are ord p f ,

t t at st to the m tt his and from ha , la , e bi ered exile ending

days on an obscure island of the South Seas . His life has already taken on the faint and wavering

ut ine its ur t o l s of a legend, so far removed were c ren s from allthe i r but its u t n ord na y ways of living ; circ ms a ces and,

t all the ur u t t t mos of , c io s personali y of his ex raordinary

ff to t n u t the man, a ord, hose whose mi ds q icken wi h rarer

un t the u s t and more common aspec s of h man pec acle, a i i troubling and exh larat n g interest .

ti thi he t two uui in Un l wi n t pas years Ga g n was, America,

r . t t ha dly a name A few ar is s knew of him, and among those fortunate enough to have seen the best of his work

u r u t t uh t his geni s was arely q es ioned, ho g his pain ings

too t too ull t then, as now, are probably exo ic, f of sinis er

i to r t t r t b the d ssonances, be mo e han ole a ed y average PAUL —AET - GAUGUIN . 1 43 11

rv r. Yet his is ro i the ann r of its obse e fame g w ng, and m e

r t is i g ow h somewhat iron cal . For it was the appearance

t- r u t ul t t a e u n a of a novel, a bes selle of do b f as e, b s d po

t rt r hi t ﬁr d cheapened and dis o ed ve sion of s life, hat st i

rected the t houghts of the general public towards him . “ ” t the tr t Noa oa r Since hen ansla ion of , N , a rathe idealised

e T it tt in o ti t v rsion of his ah ian life, wri en collab ra on wi h

h the art ti has r t tt nt n C arles Morice, cri c, sha pened his a e io

u t uu the t u rti t i i i n il now Ga g in, my hical So th Sea a s , s v v dly

t t o in eres ing t people of many sorts . the three great leaders o the enchant

u - t ing colo r harmonies of the Impressionis s, has had so pro

o u r f und an inﬂuence upon contemporary painting . B t f om

the ﬁrst two t r at r , despi e thei somewh simila

t u uu e echniq e, Ga g in has always se med

t t u z a ed by an angle of vision, by a mys erio s and bi arre It u t t t not s r . i poe ry in which hey did ha e was nvol n ary, — and he presents a bitter and lonely ﬁgure lonely in death

as in life . Almost from the ﬁrst Cézanne and van Go gh were d t . to t the e t an hailed as Mas ers Fame came hem, and sw e

r t r But not uui tt human ewards of vic o y. for Ga g n ; a li le friendship he had from men whose names are now among

the l art but r t g ories of French , many of whom we e hen

tru l t t . r s gg ing like himself, and ha was all His wo k seemed to n t n t awake a cer ain perso al animosi y, no less among the public than among the critics and painters themselves . “ ” Son oeuvre est révoltant dc grossiérté et de brutalité

rote a i Mauclair h a hionabl r t of w C m lle , one of t e f s e c i ics 12 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

the day. And the public greeted his exhibitions with jibes and erisi u ter d ve la gh . ’ Gauguin s life and ancestry were fullof disturbing im

r t . a in hi uth i p obabili ies Once in spe k g of s yo , he sa d, “ ’ If I told youthat on my mother s side I ama descendant

he V ru ou u of a Borgia of Aragon, t iceroy of Pe , y wo ld ” sa t at it not tru a r t t Yet y h is e and that I mp e en ious .

u the a e s ch was c s .

t r r z the uht r His mo he , Aline Ma ie Cha al, was da g e of

ra Tr t un Tr o Flo is an, whose cle Don Pio de istan de Moscos ,

the re t er r Tri t u was afo men ioned Vic oy . Flo a s an was m ch

bas bleu of a , an advanced woman of those days . She

r t ti ta r t w o e sen men l novels of inc edible leng h, delved int the tu c o deeply o s dy of e onomics and s ciology, and lived

r t t her on ve y bad erms wi h husband, who , however, as “ V t Sa alen t u r it t ic or g deligh f lly exp esses , loved her wi h

u t t t t r r s ch devo ion, ha , af e th ee years of wedded bliss and

te ti her the r t t of eigh en of separa on, he gave g ea es proof

t t t u his tt t devo ion ha a h sband can give wife, and a emp ed

o h But t r ti t ut t t kill er. she wen on w i ng novels wi ho pi y

t r her u on ei he her readers or h sband, who was condemned ” to forced labour for twenty years .

u r 1 rt t t r Gaug in was born in Pa is in 848 . A sho ime af e the t t t t r t poli ical even s of ha yea , which had been somewha

t u to his rtu t uu disas ro s fo nes, his fa her, Clovis Ga g in, a

u t to t his Parisian jo rnalis , decided leave France wi h

amil f or u to cu r f y Per , where he hoped f nd a newspape

Bu at he tr t hi own . t of s t he died S ai s of Magellan, and

- - h t r t her t r t . t e mo he wi h hree yea old son, wen on alone

r in our at t the ero They ema ed f years Lima wi h Vic y, whose — - PAUL GAUGUIN AET. 1 43 13

at at u d t irt en rs de h one h ndre and h e yea of age, decided t r r turn u . I t t h t t r hei e was a happy ime, s o h o gh with

r t at t t u amil memo ies of h ra her ro bling world, where each f y of station kept its own madman chained on one of the ﬂat t rr th rt u l e aced roofs, and where, when e ea hq akes jang ed the tr rtr t u o the it to the ances al po ai s p n wall, seemed

tt t t t r i o li le boy ha heir eyes we e wak ng t an unnatural, a gle ming life . Outheir return to France the family squandered a large

ortune t r u f lef by Don Pio, and, being now in ed ced cir c mstances tt a a u u u , se led t Orle ns where Ga g in was placed in r u o He r t unt at the a eligio s scho l . emained here il , age t it t t ul t the of seven een, was decided ha he sho d en er

r He t t the ten French Me chant Marine . de es ed life and of

i tt t r e 1871 afterwards spoke of t bi erly . His mo he di d in

the s at t t - while he was in Indie , and wen y one years of age

T u inﬂuential riends t he left the Service . hro gh f he ob ained

r M i - e it in the ﬁ m . rt t th a pos ion of Be n, a s ock broker in

ue Laﬁtte e a u u t R , where he b c me very s ccessf l, some imes

u ra c He re making annually thirty or forty tho sand f n s. n t r t ul t mai ed he e eleven years, a s eady, clever manip a or, t 1873 conforming to the bourgeois s andards about him . In ll u and he married M e . Sophie Gad, a yo ng Danish girl, v it t had by her ﬁ e children . And so seemed hat he was t a ut u ut des ined to rem in, an ind s rio s, q i e commonplace and r tiz espectable ci en .

Th i i no n . e t t s t Then came a change exac way of k own,

h si u but in t e home of Mon e r Arosa , an old family friend , i was a large collect on of pictures of the modern school . Was it these that ﬁrst turned the eyes of the successful 14 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

t - r the s ock b oker from wide, easy path of his assured exist ence to those tangled and mysterious by-paths of art? v r it u Howe e was, on S ndays and holidays he commenced

intin . the s his pa g In evening, e caping from the doors of

ul t he nt th u r i r immac a e home, wandered i o e Q a t e of the artists or climbed the steep streets of Montmartre to the little smoky cafés where the outlaw artists of the new s ue to th r—t l r chool s d ga e hat smal group of painte s who , having thrown off the shack! es and conventions of the ofﬁcial a r i u r the s lon, we e w nning their way to fame nde

r T met despised sob iquet of Impressionists . here he Pis ll T sarro and Gui aumin and Monet and Degas . here he

r th t th t t to the hea d e tene s of e new pain ing, and, hrilling t it t t to t fascina ion of all, he lis ened, and from ime ime bought a few pictures .

r The t Sun Slowly his passion for a t deepened . s olen

sufﬁced r t days and holidays no longer , agg ava ing only his desire to paint ; and within two or three years came

t u r t n his decision o give p eve y hing, family, social co nec

u to to t tions, case, all that had been precio s him, and devo e

But not unt t t -ﬁve himself only to his art . il he was hir y was he able to say “ t From now on I shall pain every day . He became the pupil of Pissarro and in 1880 he ﬁrst exhibited with the Impressionists . This early work caused

tt t t u ollowin li le commen , for as he was s ill a p pil, f g in

t t t u to the s eps of his mas er, and ro bled, driven almost

th t the be despair by e gravi y of decision was making, his

So tt t work was not in reality his own . ma ers wen for a

or unt o e at t to z the u te year more, il f rc d las reali e nal r UL — - PA GAUGUIN AET. 1 43 15

a t e i his wif t o bili y of his d cis on, e consen ed t a separation . She took the children with her and returned to Denmark

r t uh inﬂuential amil e t sh su whe e, hro g her f y conn c ions, e p ported herself in a fair degree of comfort by the transla F tion of rench novels into her native tongue .

u un uur u Ga g i remained in Paris, far now from his l x io s

u rt r th u Laﬁtte oe i t t t q a e s in e R e , rem v d as n o a s range ci y

a d t in the t t tt ri n a s range world, mids of his gli e ng Paris

He -tout t he had known so well . lived a hand mo h exis ence

u u t r t u t rt in h mble q ar e s, pain ing when he co ld wi h a so

erocit but ur e u of savage f y, when all so c s of reven e were

ut t not sou t exha s ed, when here was a in his pocke for

or i t t u u u the t n bread pa n , he ook on c rio s jobs, s ch as pas i g But up of advertisements in the Care duNord . always

r rt t r and in spite of eve ything he painted . A is s we e now hi at t tt to t t t s only companions, and nigh no ma er wha s rai s

e u u the t met at the C6te he had be n red ced d ring day, hey ’ d Or or at the café Guerbois for long hours of talk before the little glasses of absinthe .

1886 u wn the In , obsc rely dra from beginning by his longing for the tropics no less than by his growing dis t t t to rti u as e for Paris, he wen Ma niq e, accompanied by a T u t t r . t young pain er, Cha les Lavalle hey re rned af er a

a the u h e t . u ye r, driven back by vicio sness of t clima e Ga u t u t g in had, however, done a grea amo n of work, and, what t u t t was of far more impor ance, he bro gh back a new artis ic H h i . e t t e v sion broke away en irely from Impressionists,

the t r ak from all his models of olden ime, and, fo s ing

r t to - Pa is, wen Pont Aven in Brittany . The immense distance which separated the earlier work 16 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN of Gauguin from that of the so-called Pouldup eriod can not be well understood without at least a ﬂeeting inquiry into the theory and technical formulas of the Impression istic school . “ T ut the F r ti r es hese men, I q o e from rench c i c, Cha l “ ri r t t art t e s k e . Mo ce, evived ha which h academie had ill d

the re ectin the e They placed themselves beyond law, j g fals ofﬁcial teachings and cold formulas deduced by profos T sors from the work of the Renaissance . hey had dis t i t it t in a covered Light and, in ox ca ed by , hey worked

zz t u u the t r r . da led en h siasm, sing hand as a mere in e media y It was just as if the coloured ray shone from their eyes u he ca vas t unt u the pon t n , and hey worked ro bled by shapes

i t t ut int rv t t r which the ray made br llian , wi ho e en ion ei he

u t t r of feeling or of tho gh , happy slaves and idola o s of t t urt um the sun . In his sys em, which c ails as far as is h anly

r ll the i ua the possible the pe sonality and wi of ndivid l , ut u t t artist m s reno nce, on principle, composi ion, decora ion,

H th r r t . e t e t expression, s yle is no more han senso ial in e — mediary between man and nature and not even an inter mediary ; for it is nature itself which is reﬂected in the

t ut the not tu it is painted work in r h work is a pic re,

the r in t the really only an impression . And wo d , ven ed by

u r to the ormula im ress niste Bo leva d express f p io , is per

l rr t t the r t ts it us . The f ect y co ec , despi e p o es has ca ed impressionistic painters halt the sun to etemalise one of its ul i ” but t t t ts t. instants, hey never mix heir so s wi h ligh

r M Another analysis of their theo y is one given by . Théodore Duret in his volume Les Peintres I mpressio

nistes.

18 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

' ﬁ c a i n and onl t ri i of a e t t o s y ma e al . I n t thought does

Thus it t t u ui t r rvi hi i was ha Ga g n, af e se ng s techn cal

a renti eshi a n the re i i ts t 0 3 t r pp c p mo g Imp ss on s , cas hei teachin s and imme iat l u o rotum rti g , d e y p n his from Ma

- ni ue too u his bo at nt r tta . T r q , k p a de Po Aven in B i ny he e,

rroun a rti t ﬁrst r u t su ded by few young a s s, he fo m la ed those principles of Synthesis and Symbol which have since

u n r e to him become so f amo s, a d which se ved so w ll lead

rt ito that newer and profounder a . He i Yet Gauguin detested formulas. w shed to paint as

moo seiz in ut reedom r t the d ed him, absol e f f om all ar i

i n r in u in hat r r tt to ﬁc al co st a t. B t t somb e B i any which

he t th new rit that to himin had wi hdrawn, e spi had come

i h r r o the t ire tnes of lMartin que, t e etun t simplici y and d c s

o i i e to l o t t it a less s ph st cated ag , an a m s mys ical and prim ive

r The rt t inﬂu i i n tur t t . envis on ng of a e, asse ed i self a is ,

r u t t t a enced perhaps by the t agic grande r of ha desola e l nd,

own rt ur to and oppressed by the sadness of his hea , t ned the painting of those symbolic canvases which form so strange a contrast to the luxuriant and lush splendour of

his Tahitian scenes.

t r art is t r u it The exact heo y of this new ra he vag e, and

l i r i untar was on y n the most gene al way, and as if nvol ily,

r it t t u u or that Gauguin eve made explici , ho gh his p pils,

r n a not it te to ttri ut to rathe his companio s, h ve hes a d a b e i i n himmany of their own deﬁn t o s. “ ” uu r t T t let Youknow, Ga g in w o e in one of his ahi ian “ u t r a ur me ttributin ters, that tho gh o he s h ve hono ed by a g

a s stemto me a e r one coul not con y , I h v neve had , and d — - PAUL GAUGUIN AET. 1 43 19

demn el to it if had . To in ri mys f I pa t as I please, b ght

- - rr ut r e s to to . The rt or day, dark mo ow a ist m s be f e he i c ti t not an ar s . ‘ ’ But youhave a technique? they say .

No a not or r t r but it is , I h ve , a he I have one, a vaga I i r I u t rt t t . t t c bond so of h ng, and ve y elas ic is a e hniq e tha i

ta t r to the amin I i changes cons n ly, acco ding mood I , and use it to express without bothering as to

xt tur s e erior na e . ‘ ’ Is there a recipe f or the makin g of beautiful things? “ ‘ And the answer I have repeated so often : I am u ’ capricio s .

u s r ti not his itt t r r B t hi p ac ce, if adm ed heo y, he exp essed in a few words “ The right to dare everything in art in the name of the

t The ut t t i t spiri . absol e and legi ima e dom na ion of thought

tur the the t to exnre upon na e, and need of ar ist ss thought ’ rt t u t to tu by a is ic means, eq ivalen na re s own

u the r e the t to rtin D ring yea s which follow d rip Ma ique, uu t in r t t Ga g in was some imes Pa is, some imes in Bri tany,

rt t at s t and was for a sho ime Arle wi h van Gogh . That “ ” experiment in artistic communism with its tragic denoue ru i u u t ment, came as a c sh ng blow, and was ndo b edly in strumentalin augmenting his already profound hatred and i distrust of European civilisation . And aga n his thoughts

t i t r the t t tr ar r turned wi h long ng owa ds dis an opics, f f om “ ” r t f c the exaspe a ions o c 3613 Earepe.

1891 t the rti ti it riends In , wi h help of his a s c and l erary f ,

u u i at the t r uot Ga g in held a sale of his belong ngs Ho el D o . Among them were many of his own pictures as well as 20 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

’ various objets d art and some of the paintings he had r i i bought from the Imp ess on sts in early days . In this way i t u i u he real sed nine ho sand e ght h ndred and sixty francs.

Mirbeau the o l t art r t r Octave , n ve is and c i ic, w ote a glow ’ ing appreciation of Gauguin and his art f or L Echo de

Par e rt l t r re r ue in the t is. And th a icle, a e p od c d ca alogue

or e e ttr t reat r . So at l i ri f th sal , a ac ed a g c owd ast n Ap l,

u it ar too i it n u uin tho gh w h f l m ed mea s, Ga g was able to i i leave on his ﬁrst Tah t an trip . The letters which f ollow extend over a period of twelve

r th l ei ritt n n e yea s, e ast b ng w e o ly a few w eks before his

u of t i orre en t r 18 f or he death . In m ch h s c spond ce he e , t

r r a the tur u sen casual reade pe haps, lack of pic esq e and I ional at ma a ti . t r t sat , th y seem dis ppoin ng is a her for

se i t te the o r t rt t tho n eres d in life and psych logy of a g ea a is , and in those often bleak material facts which account f or

i t t t e tt and expla n the psychology, ha hes le ers may have the strongest appeal. THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

TO GEORGES DANI EL DE MONFREI D

THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGU IN

TO GEORGES DAN I EL DE MONFREID

T ﬁrst tt t u c i his le er, ho gh perhaps of no espe ial mpor t it r tt ew ance, as was w i en on board ship only a f days

t in r rt t re t it af er leav g F ance, is of a ce ain in e s ; for is here t t the ul tt s t is ha name of J ie e appear , of whom here so th u tt much mention in many of e s cceeding le ers . She

to u - t u seems have been a m ch loved mis ress, whose nhappy position troubled Gauguin through these ﬁrst Tahitian

ar not t ye s, and whose charms he did forge even while

t ur th enjoying the more exo ic favo s of e Maori beauties .

But to the t t r as who she really was or de ails of her his o y, ’ tt t tt t t r u r tu the le ers hrow li le ligh , and af e Gaug in s e rn F to rance all mention of her ends .

zud 1 1 April , 89 . My dear Daniel

ust i t i N u r J magine, my r p via o mea may last still longe

t ot 500 rancs t and cos an her f , for hey say that connections

are rr u . I t t r o ﬁv very i eg lar may be from h ee t e months . So if any of our friends want to go there warn them to ta the ct ut ~ —New ke dire ro e York, San Francisco

I was ro to o o t r is t w ng g sec nd class, hi d almos as good 23 24 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN and it would have saved me anc “ fr s. Just another word so that m letter will y not be late. Kiss luliette f or me with

Tahiti 7th Novembe 189 1 . ( ) r, My dear Daniel I ambeginning to think that everyone in Paris 13 f or

ettin me as et no n w and h re v uc g g , I g e s e I live ery m h

lon s ea in l Ye a e onl th tt T tian that w . s , p k g y e i le ahi I kno , m ea ellow n ot n . y d r f , a word of Fre ch ’ u o o tte t and n w a t . Po r J lie wi h a child, I c n help her I a not ur litt e lin I t m s prised that the le one is f e g ill. hap

hi under w ch I did it.

’ diﬁ ul Youask t am . I t s rat c t to sa wha I doing her y, f or I myself hardly know what it amounts to . Sometimes it seems to me to be good and yet there is i it t in r ut . As et someth ng, hor ible abo y I have done no h g

i t not int ure r in . am o t t to t st k g I c n en dig in o myself, o na , ’ and to learn a little drawing ; that s the important thing? And then I amgetting together subjects to paint in Paris

i l t n u the tt n t if th s te ls any hi g, so m ch be er ; I can o say more without inventing stories and ﬁlling you with illusions

at ou u l s m return th y wo ld o e on y .

26 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

ime o tim wa esta sh d as has been hinted from t t e, s bli e

hassa ol the ie through the statements of Dr. C gn , ch f medi

r T iti a d au ui f or an cal oﬁ ce of ah , who c re for G g n m y

i the a in t months while he was n hospit l Papee e.

11th r h 1 2 Ma c , 89 . My dear Daniel I received your letter with more pleasure than youcould ’ tt r are u ut to had so believe. Le e s a precio s fr i me ; I ve

r t l a had ro few since coming he e. I s i l h ve nothing f m and it worries me ; not only for the money which ’ te a but t t t t e I coun d on h ving, ha I don know wha I may d

ou You r t riend I am t p . are igh , my f , a s rong man who ‘ end . i ll “ r an bend fate to my wi . I can tell youthat to do what

ﬁve ar r a h ! To I have done for ye s is a g e t ac—ievement say nothing of my struggle as a painter and that was

—bu tru to r nothing small t of my s ggle live, and with neve

’ t t t s ethi t ea Some imes I wonder ha om ng doesn br k, I

ust e a u . W o ou t he r so m ch cracking ell, we m always g ; her

is ever the great remedy at the end .

am t le ou t s r i I going o t y in o my ec et a b t. There is a

t it act t a l Fm he grea deal of logic in and I me hodic l y . mt

ut t n t at it u -to- o o se I k ew h wo ld be a day day existence ; s , ’ tu l to ut t r na ral y, I ve had acc s om my empe ament to that. Instead of wasting my strength working and worrying about

o rr ut r t i t the ent i r t mo ow, I p eve y hing n o pres , l ke a ﬁghte

TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 27

o no r l e wh does t move until the moment of the st ugg e. Wh n

o to at t s —one r i I g bed nigh I say to my elf mo e day ga ned,

rr tomo ow I may be dead . so

r e i In my wo k of pa is th same th ng . I only t i e s t a i to rra e h nk of th pre en . ic l way s a ng

tt rs thi ollow t an o he ma e so that ngs f smoo hly, d n t do on t t ul Th 5th wha sho d be done on the 20th. e madrepores do — l the same and at the end quite a ot of ground is covered . ‘ If only people did not spend so much time in useless and ’ r — unrelated wo k! One stitch a day that s the great point. ut u t B eno gh of his . — e i u ill. e itt n u I have be n ser o sly Imagin sp i g p blood, urt r tr It q a e of a li e a day . was impossible to stop it ;

uta t rs the u the r t m s rd plas e on legs, c pping of b eas , noth

The r tt ing helped . hospital doctor was p e y much worried

u t o f or. The and tho gh I was d ne chest was intact, but my i heart was playing me tricks . And t has had so many ’ t i r t shocks that there s no h ng ve y as onishing about that.

the t was t ollo Once vomi ing of blood s opped, I f wed a

t t at t and am ett r and n n digi al re men , now I b e see o sig s —I u t t r u. of a relapse . S ill m s be ca ef l My life is now that of a savage : my body naked except — for the essential thing the women do not like to see so

am r he t but u . t t they say I wo king all ime, p ill now only

tu r t u t i u re s dies, or a her doc men s, are p ling p . If they a

ul i to t not u to t be . sef me hey w ll so o hers However, I have done one picture : An angel with yellow wings points — out a Tahitian Mary and Jcsus to two native women nudes

ot t r rt ﬂowered tt l t cl hed wi h a pa eo, a so of co on c oth, tha

n be tt one i to the i r ca a ached as l kes wa st. The lowe 28 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

slopes of the mountain are very dark with blossoming

he or un l tr . Th r i t t e ro d ees e road da k v ole , f g emera d green.

a a tre to the le —I am ut e t i Ban n es fto q i e pleas d wi h t. ’ Youask for an exchange of canvases? Certainly ; don t

rr t You n a ti wo y about tha . k ow whether I ms ngy or haggle ’ r t t ou ou Z He over such matte s . Wha s his y say ab t ’ ill t in —so e r must be , I h k he s b en complaining of my cha acter to my wife! God knows whether I really have such a bad character ;

youhave been able to judge it f or yourself . I have only enough space left to say good- bye to youand

ri n to my f e ds.

r Co dially, P u . Ga guin.

’ uui usi tur t the t r Ga g n s am ng adven e wi h pira e, elated

t u ust t e us - oo here wi h s ch g o and deligh , giv s an all t brief glimpse of the lighter and more picturesque side of his

T ti . t tt r u t u ahi an life In hese le e s m ch has been lef nsaid, owing no doubt to those pressing exigencies of material “ ” to t M n ch r Dan o life, ligh en which o e iel seems t have — been his sole main-stay and support the one ever faithful l I n friend on whom he coud depend . t did ot take long for his relations with the whites in Papeete to become strained

- H to the t. e e t utt breaking poin despis d hem erly, and they “ ” in turn were scandalised by that turning native in which u t u t t . t o t he ook s ch vas deligh Some h gh him a spy, others

—o r th believed him mad worse . For in e tropics the white who mingles openly with the Maori or Malay is no less TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 29

i ri to be unne tr e than a soc al pa ah, sh d and os acis d, as a

r man betraying the alleged code of the supe ior race .

But to n um the -Peruvian hat d and Ga g , French , who e ﬁ ‘ ' r t t o! ; w s run the w t fea ed the civilisa ion f hich he had p g, hi e ’ ma ith its t r u ti n s code, w hypocrisy and secre co r p on, was viler far than the simple and quite childlike unmorality y T t t . at t of the na ives wi h whom he lived his was, all even s, ’ - o un t art Gauguin s view point. And t ders and him and his ,

e too ut e t or at t tr to the w , , m s acc p , any ra e y comprehend, vastness of the revolt which ﬂung him here on this obscure

ut t u r ut it island, an o cas ; and living, as H neke once p , “ ” b r i t in i and art like a divine beachcom er, wa r ng bo h l fe with the civilisation he had left behind .

u 1 2 . J ne, 89 My dear Daniel

to r c ur tt t I was so glad e eive yo le er, for o herwise my ul a t No . mailbag wo d h ve been emp y . news from Europe u t thi . t i A q eer ng happened yes erday I was in own, wh ch

ut t t to th is abo for y kilome res from my place, see e Gov c u r to tr to et to r o and y g my passage back France . I had

or -ﬁ c in u about f ty ve fran s my pocket . I s ppose youwill ’ t ink t t I mnot ut u to let r t o t h ha ca io s eve y hing g hat way,

u u t the but am t t. t n I like ha I keep p n il las mome t, and t amh t u F hen I oping each mon h for a few so s from rance . ’ t Ann t ou t Sis er , don y see any hing coming? Nothing! I say to myself that it would be stupid to leave and perhaps 30 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

- e now to pass a bank note on the way . So I amcompell d

r ur u to lie to until the very last . And I age like a f io s

1 u e t he o t u met f0 0 . J st at th en rance to t G vernmen Ho se I a captain who sails about the islands in his own brig and u t who is believed to be a pirate . I made his acq ain ance a

couple of months ago . “ ” What the devil are yougoing to do in this galley? he

’ Ma oi I m i to the st a re a t f , go ng do mo dis g e ble hing ’ the possible . I mgoing to beg my passage home from ’ Governor : my ship is adrift and I mon the roc Then the rascal slipped four hundred francs into my “ ’ll i ” You tu a t . hand . give me a pic re and we c ll square

So no o to e r am I did t g th Gove nor, and here I hoping once more for money from France . ’ Possibly I shall do a portrait of the pirate s wif e and t w f rancs Bu t t hen he ill give me more . t for ha we

ut r at m t the who not m s exe cise gre diplo acy wi h lady, is

a o a h t e . T can always e sy man ge, so says hen I raise my ’ to - la t ail ten t ul I p gal n s and have mon hs of peacef work . t s

to t t u t i h only me ha s ch h ngs appen . I have been working hard all this time and up till now have covered forty metres of good canvas with Lefranc and ’

. c urs . t in to ult ou Co s olo I h k I shall be able p l hr gh, and ’ it ul e o I really wo d have be n a shame t leave . mjust ﬁnish ’ ing a sort of carved Kanaka s head lying against a white

u in t urr un c shion, a palace I inven ed, and s o ded by women,

' n t also of my own imagi a ion . I think it is a pretty b1t 0 I ’

i t . Yet it s not t t pa n ing al oge her mine, for I stole the idea

r i l . You ut not n t u f om a p ne p ank m s say a y hing abo t it,

32 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

’ The mix-u s u u so ﬂeetin l odd p in Ga g in s life, g y referred to re u us it ten t he , were indeed n mero , and was of wi h a perverse sort of pride that their incidents lingered in his “ i an memory. In Paris t was said that he possessed evil ” “ t eye and he himself once admitted it . Many men wi h But a t . whom I h ve associa ed have gone mad, he said

t the o t wn from among all hese, van G gh inciden , kno more “ ’ ’ ” lincid ent de lareille cou ée ta out generally as p , s nds , not only through the fantastic horror of the events them

he e but u the t t t t . s lves, thro gh la er fame of pro agonis s ’ Gauguin s friendship with van Gogh was of long stand

t his retum r rt u o t ing, and af er f om Ma iniq e, van G gh, hen

i at in t t r . liv ng Arles, sis ed on his joining him he e Hesi t ut n t his own tt r u uu a ly, as if agai s be e j dgment, Ga g in

t Al o cuo ed t r t consen ed . ready van G gh j y a grea eputa ion

the u r among yo nge men, and, relieved from the pressure of pecuniary wants through the understanding generosity of

t t to the u i t t wn a bro her, he had re ired q a n old o of Arles,

in t t u o where he worked almos monas ic secl sion . The tw

riends l t t f were dissimi ar in emperamen , mode of life, and even in their artistic and literary tastes ; from the ﬁrst a

rt tr t lf l ce ain s ain and ension made itse fe t.

Van o rr t . G gh grew moody and i i able One day, as if a

u t t the utu vag e presen imen of f re had come over him, he tu to u u u t rned Ga g in , who was working pon his por rait. “ ” “ the t s i Yes, likeness is here, he aid slowly, t is I ” after I have gone mad . ’ What follows is Gauguin s own story “ That same evening we went to a Café and van Go gh u took a mild absinthe . S ddenly he threw the glass with TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 33

it t i i t . ts conten s at my head I dodged , and, ak ng him by the t r i the arm, I led him home, where he h ew h mself on ll bed and slept ti morning . ‘ Ou a in be s M a uui u w k g aid , y de r Ga g n, I have a vag e ’ memory of having offended youlast evening . ‘ ’ ou t all rt but a t t I forgive y wi h my hea , l s nigh s scene

t r hit t t migh be epeated , and if I were I migh lose con rol

o to r t to u of myself and choke you. S allow me w i e yo r ’ r brother of my eturn . “ — My God what a day!

u t to I g lped down dinner that nigh and, wishing be

a t the u . lone, lef ho se “ When I had almost passed through the Place Victor u a u tt t t t r H go, I he rd q ick, sharp li le s eps behind me ha we e

r t t at ve y familiar. I turned just as Vincent was s ar ing me u with an open razor in his hand . My gaze m st have been u t very powerf l , for he stopped , lowered his head, and hen

t t u t r u s ar ed r nning owa ds the ho se . “ Was t not to I cowardly hen, have disarmed him and to have attempted to sooth him? I have often searched my u n b t ot . Let own conscience, I do reproach myself whoever

wishes throw the ﬁrst stone . “ 1 t at to t t wen once a good ho el, where, af er enquiring

to the t t o as ime, I ook a room and went t bed . I was so

u t t not f u t t nervo s ha I did all asleep n il nearly hree, and I

not t a - did waken ill ne rly half past seven . When I came out t the u t t t in o sq are, I saw ha a grea crowd had gathered .

Th r r our u ll e e we e policemen near ho se, and a little fe ow

in hat the a Derby , who was Police Inspector. “ This is what had happened 34 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

“ Van Go gh returned home and shaved off one ear

r I smoothly f om his head . t must have taken himsome

e to st0 the ee i ext u wet tim p bl d ng, for n day a n mber of towels were found strewn about the floor of the two lower

r his o had o l the roo and the litt ooms. And bl od s i ed ms le

rca l r s a stai se which ed to ou bedroom . As oon s he was

did u his a t ht an t able, he p he d ig ly in a Basque cap d lef

H tr ht to u h r ut the house . e went s aig a ho se of s ady ep e

and e ear i e e to the hand d his , wh ch had be n well wash d, ‘ ’ ‘ ’ rt r r T o e . t . p r He e, he said, is a p esen from me hen he i H ur t to . e re h r ed home, wen bed and fell asleep was ca f ul to close the blinds and to leave a lighted lamp near the i w ndow. “ ‘ Ten i ut t r he t t to th ll d m n es la e t s ree , given over e ﬁ es c ’ oie in t ult ut j , was a um , and they were all chattering abo t wha had happened . “ ar u tin t I was f from s spec g any hing, however, when I

to our The in the ha came house . man Derby t said to me

‘ ’ t sir a ou to our And wha , , h ve y done y comrade? ‘ ’ ’ I don t know. ‘ ’ But es ou ut it—he i s . y , y m s know dead

ul not u t I I co d wish s ch a momen on anyone . t was a long while before I could collect my thoughts and under

r stand the beating of my hea t. “ ‘ ’ tam let us o u st r l I s mered, Sir, g p ai s and I wi l explain . “ i in the t er Vincent was ly ng bed, comple ely cov ed by

n i t . t u the r blankets . He seemed i an ma e I o ched body ve y

r r il . gently and its warmth eassued me. He was st l alive TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID

This certainty seemed to bring back all my energy and in

c t o . telligen e. I spoke sof ly t the Police Inspector ‘ outo t t the reat Sir, I beg y awaken his man wi h g est

if f or sa t t turn to care, and he asks me y ha I have re ed ’

Th t . Paris . e sight of me might be fa al to him “ A t V t r f er he had waked, incen asked for his com ade, t t a n hen for his pipe and ob cco, and e ded by even demand

ownsta r u t ing his money box which was d i s. Do b less a sus

icion ! I t not tr u am r t p did o ble me, for I p oof agains ' erin suﬂ g. “ Everyone knows what followed and it would be useless i f T to a it r t not t u . u spe k of , we e for his errible s fering ho gh

u to l o t in an asyl m , he came himse f from time t ime and he r t n but in u t ealised wha had happe ed, his l cid momen s went on painting those admirable pictures we know so well . “ The t tt r t las le er I had from him was f om An werp . He said that he had hoped to be well enough to join me in

tt but th t r ali e Bri any, a now he e sed th impossibility of a ‘ ’ ear t i the r cure . D Mas er ( t was only time he eve used ‘ t t r it ett t in n ha wo d) is b er, af er hav g k own you and

r ou t in r w onged y , hat I die a clear mind rathe than in a ’ degraded state. “ He shot himself in the stomach with a pistol and died a

ur t in few ho s la er, lying bed, smoking a pipe, his mind ” r art t clear as eve , loving his and ha ing no one .

So the o t ended van G gh inciden , and can one wonder at the unt r ha ing, sombre memo y from which Gauguin was never freed? 36 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

mb r 1892 . 5th Nove e , My dear Daniel ’ u u I mre i to ur tt r. re Q ick, q ick, ply ng yo le e I ceived F 3 r ou ent . Well ll ! or the the 00 f ancs y s , we sha see

to to i but unle present I shall be able lie awh le, ss I

can et sum r n u to ut g a la ge e o gh . make me absol ely safe, I

sh not o o the r u ul to o t all g t Ma q esas, and I sho d love g here

. emnot before I return . My health is not good I ill otly (the climate is wonderful) but all these worries ’ are ba f or t over money d me, and I ve aged in an as onish ’ u it u to u . s ing fashion, all of a s dden I s ppose beca se, keep my aff airs in any order and to avoid running ’

t t eat tt tea. in o deb , I hardly . a li le bread and I ve

wn r t i n t t m gro ve y hin on t, g my s reng h and ining t u u . t to the t my s omach If I wen h nt bananas in mo n ains,

to ﬁsh ul not r ul or , I co d wo k, and, besides, wo d probably have a saust

Oh u r u , how m ch mise y on acco nt of this accursed money! Many thanks to friend Maillol and greetings to all the comrades. ur Always yo s, Paul Gauguin

’ I ve had a letter from Sérusier with all sorts of news ’ ut the abo new crowd of painters . I can t ﬁnd that drawing

Mirbeau ut us it to t i for (m s have ed wrap some hing n ) . I

il en ou th r r f or i w l s d y ano e d awing h m. Ask Bottin f or his TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 37

r u u r H or t. Yo r t i . add ess, Joyan m st emembe me o h m e might be useful to me on my return .

t ﬁrst T t t i the ollowin tt Even on his ahi ian r p, as f g le ers ’

uu ﬁnancial difﬁculti s . t t show, Ga g in s e began His grea es t u to a r the act t t t ro ble seems h ve arisen f om f ha , ins ead of

ea t his ff a tt b e trut l ving France wi h a airs cle rly se led, s ed to the r u t t or ot p omises of vario s credi ors . who promp ly f g or r t r t igno ed hei obliga ions as soon as he was gone .

8th b 1892 Decem er, My dear Daniel

T t tt r ou or f or t t tt r his mon h no le e from y , , ha ma e , from a at t t t anyone . I m presen in a s a e of apprehension and

r ut t t afte a piece of good news . J s imagine, las mon h I had received notice that I could leave whenever I wished, but that the cost of the voyage would be charged to the i t h insufﬁc en u . So capi al, t e Colony having t f nds here I a r u the ru m eass red . I decide to leave in month of Feb ary

tin i r t ur and, while wai g, I beg n work . I b ing for h fo good

o o t a the . canvases . I g t Papee e, I spe k with Governor “ He says : Youcannot leave unless the ministry gives us ” f ur r r. i the avo abl a a fo mal orde Even reply is f e, I sh ll n i ot get t before the end of April .

At the ti tt ou r c same me as my le er y will e eive, I think.

n A rt r cﬂi a package of ca vases . n a ille y cer will take c ar themand il ut t on the tr i Fr o h ge of w l p hem a n. eight n 38 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

am i a not t rw . delivery. My apolog es ; I c n do o he ise I anxious about the transit and fear that some repairs will

r ull t ar not to be necessary. Wash them ca ef y and ake c e remove the paint and the preparation ; and varnish them . Write to my wife and ﬁnd out when they must be sent f or

i i al Vali N T Tiar The the Exh b tion. Add so ine o e e ( Woman with the Flower) Ask her if the Exhibition pays

rri i a ou i t t the ca age, in wh ch c se y w ll have hem sen on

tr t rs. If not on r . n the act me s e che , ollers Se d her ex as

u t t can r . s res, so ha she have f ames made In any ca e, I a r t n h r i mw i i g e . Here is the l st of titles

r u r u— er t n or h Pa a Pa a Conv sa io t e gossips .

Eaha Oe Peii—Wt ouare ou ha , y jeal s

ao Tu a aii—T the t or Th i Man p p hink of Ghos , , e Sp rits of the ea are D d Watching. — Parahi te MaraE Behold the Maraci (Temple of Prayers and Human Sacriﬁces) Be good enough to attach the following titles to those

use ith rach - Te are Ho w Ho F Maori. — Two Wo and I r te v men a Dog Ra o O iri .

I have chosen f or this Exhib ition something ! f or every taste - ﬁ ure lan u , g , dscape, n de. Provided these all arrive in oo con iti n g d d o , I make a suggestion : take the inside

a ure ent so to e to tr t the me s m , as be abl s e ch canvas well . i Th s is the way to stretch it : youslightly moisten the back

40 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

n c m 1892 . E d of De e ber, My dear Daniel

A utt . I have little to tell you. min er despair I have

z ﬁf ty francs left and there is nothing on the hori on . Even ’ he n t r avourabl to tt t should t Mi is er eply f y my le er, I shan t t know until the end of March at the earliest. Un il hen what shall I do ? I shall end by losing my head com

am letel it a t . T u p y, and does my he l h no good ho gh I

t a t il i r no ex c ly l, I feel that all my rigg ng, fo merly so ’

to a . it t strong, is going bre k And doesn make one any

o t out z un . Wh r t t t n yo ger en I eally s op hi k hings , I reali e t t tur ut u t t ha on my re n I m s give p my pain ing, for I canno

ma i t it . t t t m ke a liv ng wi h I lef Paris af er a vic ory, s all

u r ot e u b t t t . t e t n no gh, s ill a vic o y In eigh e n mon hs I have t t t n hi t t made a cen wi h my pain i g, w ch means ha I have

Th us t tha . o sold less n ever before e concl ion is easy draw .

And 0 t t as I can h pe for no large inheri ance, wi h what can bu u ? I t t u t I y food, or even colo rs is r e hat I shall bring ! And back some canvases my work is improving, which t t it t means ha is less saleable han before .

Go not t . ut If van gh had died hen, perhaps B ti am u while wai ng I in a dreadf l hole .

am ut ﬁnishin t t ink I j s g hree canvases . I h they are

t it i ﬁr among my bes , and as w ll be the st of January in a ’ ew t he t 1 t 893 . f days I ve da ed one, bes , ’ As something rather unusual I ve given it a French title

—Pastorales Tahitiennes t ﬁn , for I canno d a correspond in t in the t t u . not g i le Kanaka ong e I do know why, but even when laying pure Veronese green on the same sort of TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 41

r t the its i ve milion, I s ill have impression of being l ke a

— o old Dutch painting or an old tapestry. How do y account for it? But as far as that goes all my ca it u t t seem drab . Perhaps is beca se now ha I no

to at tu the have my earlier work look , or any pic res of ’ u t s I mnot to Bea x Ar s chool , able make a fair compari Am t ! am tt r t . son . Wha a memory I forge ing eve y hing s Ou tu ut using too much tobacco perhap . my re rn I m s i see about t . In what condition will youreceive the canvases that I

? u tt ou t t sent I tremble for them . In yo r le er y say ha on account of the death of your mother-in-law you are

not u r t living with your family again . I did nde s and

t e u tt t whe h r yo were ge ing a divorce, or simply had lef

t the the conjugal roof by mutual consen . Is door open or closed? Or only half-closed ? This last situation I — h t it t e t t t t . should think bad . Clari y is mos impor an hing As you know I cannot congratulate you on your new paternal state ; youcan say the same thing to me ; but for

am t am u me, who hardly ever here, and so loosely bo nd, it not ut the t it not u is q i e same hing ; is so serio s . It seems that my new off spring is doing marvellously

. u tt tt well J lie e has wri en me, giving her new address, and h u all t e news abo t the baby . If by some extraordinary

ou o it u t chance y have some m ney for me, keep n il April .

I hope to leave by that time . Anyway you will hear t u Sérusier s u hro gh , who ho ld already have taken the steps

t e tt which I indica ed in my earli r le er.

u a I press yo r h nd . Tout d w as Paul Gauguin 42 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

rur 11 1893 . Feb a y , My dear Daniel

Your letter this month ﬁnds me in despair. I have no money and it will be at least three months before I can

to n u the t hope leave, eve s pposing Minis er does send me ’ not r t et home . If he does , I eally don know how I shall g h u out of t e m ddle . ’ ’ tt r t s You t I ve had a le e from Joyan , who ays can imagine how the spirit has changed and to what extent

u . un yo r crowd has arrived Besides, he sent me my acco t, in which I see that 853 franos were turned over to N on ’ the 23rd 91 —t at to t two of May, h is say, almos years

. ha 1353 o ago Which means that N . s swiped fran s from ut u . t me, which wo ld have saved my life Joyan sold abo ’ 1000 o rt t ut the fran s wo h of pain ings for me, ded c ing u t tu commissions j st af er my depar re . I admit that to — i learn of this theft has broken me all up for t is a theft . My wife has again sold paintings to the tune of 850

But u u ot . n francs she is hard p, so exc ses herself for

t n t. ? sending me any hi g, and wha can I say

I t u the t t seems hat my s ccess is growing in Nor h . A London artist told her that I should absolutely exhibit in

ur o t u t to t . . t England I m s re n g in o all his My God, how

I rage ! I t is really anger that keeps me going . After this ’ t t t ou to let er don wri e any more, and if y have money u i r . You t Z se t t . r t nd, keep for me ca ef lly say ha has w i ten to ? Wt or? He u tt my wife ha f wo ld have done be er,

the ti amin o a t . knowing posi on I , t h ve sen me my passage TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 43

u f or it I sho ld have been glad to pay twenty per cent. on r Bht tu at u . my re n, and that I sho ld have been ahead i there are people who never know how to be usefulin t me, nor how to do a good stroke of business .

T u re u . And poor Anriet is d ead . r ly we a in bad l ck

Van o t Aurier the r t G gh and hen , only c i ic who has ever really understood us and who might have been usefulsome day.

Best of wishes to eve ryone . Cordially Paul Gauguin

h r- o t r diﬂiculties i ﬁll Above t e neve ending m ne a y , wh ch

the tt s t t many of le er wi h a no e of gloom, rises here a ’ t u t uun r ut t brigh er and more hopef l ligh . Ga g i s ep a ion,

if not t to . act his pocke book, seems be growing In f ,

The among the connoisseurs he had never been ignored .

u tu t the ollowin tt n de s dy which is men ioned in f g le er, a product of his student days and done in a mood of starkest

u r t realism, was given high praise by H ysmans, who w o e “ it not to t t t c t of , I do fear asser ha , among on emporary

t tu the u e pain ers who have s died n de, none have don any ” thing more vehemently realistic .

i no u t t to t t t And t is t nin eres ing no e by way of con ras , and also more clearly to un derstand the vastness of the ’ change which had come over Gauguin s spirit since those ﬁrst débuts in the realistic and impressionistic art of the

t b nr t the r t t day, an ar icle y A ie , c i ic whose dea h was

h r r spoken of in t e p eceding lette . 44 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

I t was of that symbolistic masterpiece of the Bretagne

er La sion a rés ls Sermo n t t n t wr t : p iod, Vi p , ha A rie o e “ ar r t u tt i -to h F , ve y far away on a mys erio s li le h ll p, w ose

hinin r the a tru soil is of s g ve milion, is biblic l s ggle of h t se Jacob and t e Angel. As these legendary gian s, who t forms are shrunk to the size of pigmies by dis ance, wage t r t t i i t t heir g eat ba tle, some women wa ch, na vely n eres ed, doubtless understanding none too well just what is happen

- in t e u u llto . g here, on th fab lo s encrimsoned hi p And from the spreading sails of their white coifs that reach out like the a u the t wings of a se g ll, and from oddness of heir

ﬁchus r th t u , and f om e fashion of heir dress, one g esses

o them t be Bretons . “ Their respectful attitudes and strained faces are those of simple folk who listen to fantastic and extraordinary stories told by some incontestable and revered tongue . One might think them to be in a church and that a vague odour of incense and of prayer is ﬂoating there above the

t t i t t the t whi e wings of heir co fs, and ha respec ed voice of u r t u o t . t t an old p ies r mbles ab ve heir heads Yes, wi ho

ub t it u the u tt do , is in a ch rch, poor ch rch of some li le Breton town “ But t the u ? W where, hen, are mo ldy green pillars here the white walls with the small coloured lithograph of the

Chemin da Croix ? Where is the pine-wood pulpit? Where the old Curé who is preaching and whose grumbling voice is certainly audible? Where all this? “ And r why, far, so very far away, ises the fabulous

- — hill top whose soil is of shining vermilion? Ah it is

e u the u r ill b ca se mo ldy, g een p ars and the whitish walls TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 45 — and the little chrome lithograph of the Chemin da Croix have been gone for many minutes ; they are non-existent in the eyes and souls of these good Breton peasants the material things surrounding them have drifted away

H l the utt a . e like smoke, have erly disappe red himse f,

' “ eﬁ aced it t t evoker, is , and now is only his voice ha holds the devoted and naive attention of these white coie d peas t i t u t an s ; and t is his voice, his r ral fan asy, which rises ”

t r f ar r f ar w . he e, , so ve y a ay

1 1 3 893 . March , My dear Daniel

u u tt am t n ou I received yo r J ly le er, and I wri i g y ’ ’ u I riend I m au o m t . bec se, as y see, s ill here Yes, my f ,

t u to to t t in t con in ing lie wi h rage and obs inacy, spi e of th u e m ddle I amin . — Thank God youreceived the study I sent I feared that

e l i T tu th fel ow might have sw ndled me . his s dy is only a

t to tt i T u u i u u t . t o t t t s ep be er h ngs ha y ho gh s perb, so m ch u the tt . Yo it not u be er know is of me ; of C. I have abo t

ﬁf t th t wi ou y canvases a ll perhaps make y gasp, for many t tt t t tu u I ’ of hem are be er han his s dy . J st now mcarving

o t r - run i s me barbaric bibelo s from t ee t ks . I have a b t of iron-wood to bring back that has just about put my ﬁngers out but am t of commission, I pleased wi h it. tt I had a le er from my wife, who sold four canvases

t u in - immedia ely pon her arrival Copenhagen one, which

insi niﬁcant tt to h u 1 was g , a li le Bre n ead, bro ght 500 francs 46 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

—an T r o e d hopes to sell the rest soon . he e is my m n y, ’

o ill But the r is a u . It s t y uw say. poo woman h rd p doe n

tt r and t n are in . T ma e , hi gs coming my way Denmark hey are going to hold an exclusive exposition there next spring ’ a t it and want me to send canvases from here. I c n do ,

r u I u t t un t n t . t fo a ely wo ld cos oo much, and I have no

money f or shipping expenses .

t r are m 0 0 13 in Yes, he e any f in Denmark who believe

the e r i n to t t t newspap rs, so now they a e beg n ing hink ha I

a f r t t. o t t t have len As ha , a Danish pain er blew in nine hundred francs in becoming the possessor of the study I ’ did of a nude woman in 76 (the one Huysmans spoke of i T In all t came to more than ﬁf teen hundred francs. hings ’

t . no t t the . re are going well here S re, ha s password I ceived two photographs in this mail done by a friend of ’ Sérusier s th u , of my Christ on e Mo nt of Olives and of the a woodc rving. They are to appear in the Revue Con

tem oraine t rt Aurier the t . p , wi h an a icle by on Symbolis s Have youheard anything about it? t I shall soon be a fa her again in Oceanica . Good

to ! Bu it Heavens, I seem sow everywhere t here does no

r ha m, for children are welcome and are spoken for in ’ h I t s t u to advance by all t e relatives . a s r ggle as who

u ou sho ld be the mother and father nurses . For y know that in Tahiti a child is the most beautiful present one can

not to its t . give . So I do worry as fa e I see with pleasure that youare again on the path to

But ou u n wards the Beaux Arts . y m st work and ot lose

rml u t . t ﬁ t . Be any ime S ay y in yo r own pa h, and dare

o u to uu u mad tw ho rs a day, and leave wisdom Bo g erea .

48 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

” i h o t of t exertion, atta n to t e p si ion a gen leman and pro

- prietor of a hye story house . t In painting he had a temperature below zero . Af er his having been an admirer of Baudry and crowd, he veered round from a spirit of opposition or f or commercial

l u not its rs to . reasons, as the Sa on wo ld open doo him

ou e the War i to Then, as y know, he preach d Holy , wish ng

But t v -lea ue o t follow and overtake me . wi h my se en g b o s

o t sat the I amnot easy to foll w and, pan ing, he down by n t n e t but ul wayside. If eve he he had b en obedien , he wo d

r the . have his own way and wanted to be a pionee , all same

h He r r t in Thence all t e disputes . ep oaches me wi h my ! te ri f or t etc . t ctor g ty and fears his liber y, How con radi y He wishes to walk alone and reproaches me for not having

d . u . t sa tt p shed him along All his is and, above all, pe y ’ An it o ur You at the d now s y uwho are disco aged . are l ’ i t i s t t . fa ure period . And some imes t an excellen hing I ’ r an can t judge f om this distance with y certainty . I shall u B n u t ot r . see on my re rn . ut do grow disco raged, and wo k Th the t . t t anks for pain s I s ill have a few lef , and I will ’ not two t need any more . For mon hs I haven t been actu

l rki . o t t e v reﬂectin al y wo ng I c n en myself by obs r ing, g, ’ a nd t n t . two r t t f aki g no es In my yea s s ay, some mon hs o

t t h tu ou - which wen for no hing, I ave rned t sixty six canvases

r i u t ult - i u tu I of va y ng q ali y and some ra barbar c sc lp re . t u is eno gh for one lone man . I think that just now I shall have more success in Den t n i mark han in France . U fortunately t is a small country

its r u ar t The and eso rces e limi ed . vein will soon be ex

hausted . si e t d the u r ollowin Be d s, o ay yo ng c owd, f g in my TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 49

oo te s in to t e elt t f ts p , is beginn g make i s lf f , and, as hey ut t the tru r have yo h, hold mos of mp ca ds, and are perhaps

t u the . more adroi , maybe I shall be snowed nder on road But I expect to keep myself aﬂoat by this new Tahitian

I t lll 1n u t st to t studles . W work be s ch con ra my Bre on , and

it will take them some time to follow me along this path .

We ! Th t u t t shall see a is nless I s op pain ing, which, as I

told ou st ltt not at . X y in my la e er, is all improbable i o i n Greet ngs t all our fr e ds.

Tout d vows, Paul Gauguin

Youknow that I have been troubled with insomnia and

t t I t im os many of my children are in the same s a e . is p

to sible make them sleep of nights . ’ — — My wif e sends me Emile s height my eldest son l ’ metre 96 at That s promising ! So one will be able to say : Great Gauguin !

l u Th l . u e letter which fol ows is from Marseil es As s al , “ ” uuin t ml t uu Ga g arrived here co p e ely broke, and, as s al , ’ it was Daniel s aid he sought with naive and complete

r assuance .

l 3rd u ut 1893 . Marseil es, A g s , My dear Daniel — — to- W at it our rancs I arrived day ednesday noon, w h f f

t. Yo t it t th t be in my pocke uwill hink s range, knowing a 50 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUI N

But af ter a in some f ore I lef t I had gotten 1000 francs. p y g

bad on board ship that I had to pay extra for second-class

hun r d roo rs w re there and u orrard onl a out d e t pe e , p f y b

b Add that v r bad t f as move a out in. to e y wea her as ar

Mahé. ter t at a terr o at e Af h ibl—e c ld spell Sidn y, and frightful heat in the Red Sea so bad that we had to throw ’ hr men overboard h —all t ee who died of t e heat. Well s ’ wellt at en s even rett ll—I r h d p y we mhe e .

mme iatel on rri nt off two t s o I d y a ving I se elegram , one t

Gou il o ant the t to ou two u p (J y ) o her y , asking for h ndred and ﬁf t ran to ut ill y f cs help me o here at Marse es . Just by — chance I went to the General Delivery to inquire a good i ea f or ur etter d , yo l was there . Would youplease wire your concierge so that when I reach Paris on Friday I can have some place to stay? There

can et bearin see at I g my gs and wh I must do . ’ Youdon t say a word in your letter about the Copen

ha en ex osition. So t r is no or g p he e news, bad news .

est reetin s to n tt . i h r B g g A ne e I p nc you claws .

Paul Gauguin TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 51

9 t mb 4th 18 3 . Paris, Sep e er , My dear Daniel

r u ett On my retun I found yo r l er, and also one from my

ut to o wife . I have j s come from Orleans, where I had g ’ ’ l o t to attend my uncle s funera . S I ve had no hing but con fusion since reaching Paris . The letter from my wife is T not encouraging. My ahitian work has had a moral suc m the rt t but the ut the ul cess a ong a is s, res l , as far as v gar

u t was— not c ntim p blic wen , one e e.

rtu t u the to shuiﬂe ff Fo na ely, my ncle had good sense o , and his very small fortune Will keep me aﬂoat and will be at ttin n t a gre help in ge g ready for my exhibition . I do o

et ut u u t but u t know y j s how m ch my ncle lef , I co n on about

n u ran At the i te tho sand f cs. moment t will be my salva tion .

t t t o Ano her hing I wan ed t ask . When I told you to

tu o prepare for my re rn by looking for money, did youg — 9 to see Z I need to know this for my future rela t t Yo tu . uu ions wi h him when he re rns nderstand . Cordially Paul Gauguin ’ Juliette s address?

’ On the rti t rri at ri a s s a val Pa s, he fcund things little to

his i . t his riends lik ng Mos of f were away, and his situa tion might have been rather desperate had it not been f or “ ’ ” the ti emi e of loncle at r mely d s Isadore O leans, who 52 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

For the ti it left hima small fortune of 13000 francs . me

i r t t r t relieved h mof his g ea es wor ies, and he wen on making feverish plans for the disastrous exhibition of 1893 .

rtun And at this time another misfo e befell him, which,

t i it the tt though no men ion s made of in le ers, came as a

r to i hard and unexpected blow . P ior his leav ng Paris for

Ar the t the u t Polynesia, y Renan , direc or of Bea x Ar s,

- conﬁded to Gauguin a so called artistic mission . I t was a

u e it t to more or less hollow and formal hono r, y t len him a certain weight and dignity among the colonial French.

t u r tut u r se the And, ho gh g a i o s, Renan had p omi d him oﬂicial purchase of some of his paintings on his return . But on his arrival in Paris he found that Renan had been u r r t r u. M. B eplaced by a new di ec o , o io — ’ At their interview I quote here from Gauguin s own ' — account of the aﬂ air Roujon said : ‘ t u u art I canno enco rage yo r , which revolts me and

i no un t u art too ut wh ch I do t ders and . Yo r is revol ionary and it ul u l our u rt wo d ca se a scanda in Bea x A s, of which ’ amth I e director. “ rv And again he obse ed, when we were discussing the ‘ r r p omises of his predecesso . And have you them in ’ writing? “ So then it is a fact that the directors of the Beaux Arts are less honourable than even the common folk of the

r n um and t e wit Pa isia sl s, heir word, even if given b fore nl t t u nesses, is good o y wi h heir signat re . “ W t t to but t ell here was really no hing for me do o retire, ”

t t . which I did immedia ely, no richer han before TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREI D 53

XIII

r 12th t 1893 . Pa is, Sep ember, My dear Daniel Since arriving I have been running about on diff erent

t t ut u . errands, mos of hem q i e seless ; no one is in Paris

But w u - u r c any ay I have seen D rand R el, who e eived me very kindly and who is again dealing with the Impression

I t s ists ; for a while he was not selling their work . eems

t uilla in H hat Pissarro and G um are selling well . e has t a promised to come and see my things when hey are re dy,

S o th it to hi t t . o t and ex bi hem I shall hold all is and, as

not o t t ut ut tu is possible t do any hing wi ho a s i able s dio, I have made a sacriﬁce and have rented 8 Rue de la Grande Chaumiere I even paid the rent in advance with money borrowed from the woman who runs the milk shop opposite) u tu I have been ransacking yo r s dio, as I need some white ’ rt h t in un the shi s and aven any my trunk . I fo d nothing in

t but ul ou lof a few canvases . Co d y lend me your easel

? so r t u la and a chair If , w i e yo r ndlord that I can take

t i r ur some h ngs f om yo place . — I did not understand your letter very well Youspeak of remaining down there and of coming to Paris only o i ll ccas ona y.

t Bussod a . t I had a break wi h Joy n has left him, dis gusted with the whole crowd ; there is nothing more of the L mine in place . et us hope that after my exhibition I

ll t u - wi have some chance wi h D rand Ruel . r t t Wi e me at leng h . PaulGauguin 54 THE LETT ERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

th - cré l re Madame Caron, e kind hearted me who made ’ “ ” possible Gauguin s sacriﬁce and his probably extract

dinar t in y experience of paying ren advance, was a well known personage to many of the impecunious artists of the rti r Qua e .

her lk tur ut In exchange for mi , pic es were q i e welcome, — and now she has retired in comfort to Noyon the owner ut u t t of q i e a val able collec ion of pain ings, among which ’ se r u i are ve al of Ga gun s .

1893 . September , Paris My dear Daniel “ A r u t t last a letter f om yo . Wha has become of ” ? eilheura r c Daniel M t asked e ently . ’ So the climate of Algiers is not marvellous? I t s freez ’ ’ u I u - t too . m t ing here, , j st now j s back from a six days rip u I t ﬁne. Me lin s a u in Belgi m . was I saw some m g t Br ges

— t r e t r wha ma vels, my d ar fellow, and af e wards on seeing ’ u t r i - R bens (en e ing into naturalism) t s a come down . ’ I mwriting in haste to reply to youand to tell youthat at last the lawyer has placed the money into my chaste hands ; I write youthis f or I want youto know it ; that is

u no to o t r . say, now y need wo ry about cash

i ri n l Well my oration is ﬁn shed . A f e d y handshake to

r u r - . mb to the ha Ba bin Gracio s eme rances red ired child .

r u Co dially yo rs, PaulGauguin

56 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

r tu the l t deale s f or the sale of his pic res, and for co lec ion of money due him from various individuals for objects h T nt to bought at is sale . hese arrangeme s seem have been ulﬁlmnt t to e diﬁ cult of f e , and, in his impa ience leav

ur r too u E ope, he probably elied m ch on promises of pay

t t t t r out. men ha were never, or only ardily, ca ried

- t N 1894 . Oc ober ovember, My dear Daniel ’ t u to Yes, I don send m ch news anyone, and everyone

You i u t u e . is complaining. see t is beca se I have los co rag

am uff u at t can I s ering so m ch, especially nigh when I dl har y sleep .

And f or t tu ll am t . his reason, na ra y, I doing no hing

ou t t wn F r mon hs hro away and many expenses ! Besides, — I have come to an unalterable decision to go and live

forever in Polynesia .

tu to u I shall re rn Paris in December, and b sy myself

ent r t t tt at t i ely wi h selling my collec ion, no ma er wha price — r t i u u . eve y h ng. If I s cceed I shall leave in Febr ary

T reedom t ut hen I can end my days in peace and f , wi ho thought of to-morrow and this eternal struggle against T t no . n idiots . his ime I shall t go alone A Englishman

o t two t and a Frenchman will g wi h me for or hree years, u b t I shall remain . Farewell to painting unless as an amusement ; my home

e i - will b n wood carving. TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 57

I see by your letter that youare happy in the South and T that youand Annette are in the best of health . hat means

tt r Z good work . I had a long and sad le e from I fear that within a year he will be a hopeless hypochondriac . I t is not cheerful and does not tend to make me wish to remain longer in this ﬁlthy Europe . u W t tt . hile awai ing be er days, I press yo r hand cordially

Tout d vous

Paul Gauguin

T xt t . He T t his ne speaks for i self is in ahi i again , and

t the horriﬁed we can almos see him, as many of whites him t t described here, clo hed only in a pareo , his long t un t u tti golden hair mixing wi h his kemp beard , sq a ng by

t the t u the u nigh in na ive a berge, speaking lang age, and t ut u t the - aking his deep g s y pleas res wi h dark skinned race, not un ul but t t t t tuu th mindf , ra her bla an ly con emp o s, of e t u t t wagging ong es of his compa rio s .

N m 1895. ove ber, My dear Daniel ’ u n tt no e u u As yo r ki d le er comes, I ve t y t to ched a br sh

t to excep make a stained glass window for my studio . ’ W to t hile making a decision I ve had camp here in Papee e . ’ Now I mhaving a large Tahitian house built in the coun u tr . The t y si e is wonderf l, in deep shadow on a roadside, ul th and from behind, a wonderf view of e mountain .

e t r - a r in t i Imagine a gr a bi d c ge ailed wi h bamboo, ts roof 58 THE LETT ERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

c co ut e es i e t two ts that hed with coan l av , and div d d in o par

use rt t by my old studio curtains. I one pa i ion as a bed

t r tt ht f or the sa o e s the room, wi h ve y li le lig ke of c oln s ;

other f orms the studio and has a large window at the top . Mats and my old Persian rug cover the ﬂoor ; it is all

- So r t t h n a w . deco a ed wi h angings, k ick kn cks and dra ings u yousee I have not much to complain of j st now. Every night some mischievous little rascals come to sleep ’ B t I t e to tt to t . u m with me . I had hr e a end yes erday going ’ to stop this truck- driver s life and get a sensib le woman into

u t ru t u . Th t t the ho se en work wi ho in er p ions, especially as ’ ow I m u it th t n j st in the mood for , and I believe a I shall t do be ter things than ever before . My old sweetheart got married in my absence ; so I was ’ i to 0 0 1 u a but she t t t obl ged f her h sb nd, can s ay wi h me,

thot she did run away to me f or a week.

So ou t now y are doing decora ing, and in London . I

u tr ut or at t shall be so glad if yo r ip is prod c ive, , any ra e,

t b u tt t t ou interes ing . I see y yo r le er ha y have been in

u o ar t Bu ou the So th and that y u e busy wi h the divorce . t y ’ don t tell me how it is turning out. Inevitably one makes — so many troubles for one self by marriage that stupid institution !

too t t . I see, , ha Maillol is involved I wish him good

u but f or it ul t l ck, I fear him and wo d be a pi y, for he is a

ﬁn el w e f lo and an artist. And see what I did with my household ; I cut loose from ll it without warning . My family wi get out of its scrapes t am ! by i self, so far as I concerned I want to ﬁnish my

in t u in r u t t. m life here, his ho se, pe fec q ie Ah, yes, I a

TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 59

at it tt ! So a great criminal . Wh does ma er was Michel

no angelo ; and I am t Michelangelo .

ur ri nd Many greetings to o f e s and to Annette .

ur a Yo s s always, Paul Gauguin

i 1896 . Apr l, My dear Daniel

Wat the ws e e it ur the h ever ne , I always r c ive w h pleas e

r ll n k letters of the few f iends who sti thi k of me . I now

ou the t n t but t t ou that y have bes of i ten ions, I fear ha y

u amnot n at the cannot be of m ch help . I o ly end of my ’ u a th tr t ur b t t e . x ut reso ces, end of my s eng h I ve e ha s ed

r t at the t is r . eve y hing, and momen my will ve y weak

r t has Since coming he e my heal h been growing worse . I

ot T two e suff er terribly from my fo . here are sores and th doctor is not able to make them heal ; in warm countries ’ t t that s bad . When nigh comes I have spells of violen u t ht Y twitching which keep me awake n il midnig . oumust

i r admit that my life is very cruel . Dur ng my ﬁ st stay in Tahiti I made unprecedented eff orts and yousaw the t e sulta in the Rue Laﬁtte ; and what have I come to ? To a — h t - r t t. t ll u comple e defea Enemies a is all . I l ck has pu l u u t t t. The urth r o s ed me my whole ife, wi ho res f e I g , — r es . a e no the lowe I d cend Perh p s I hav talent, but all — vanity aside I do not believe that anyone makes an artis

i tt t tt r s t u t c a emp , no ma e how mall , wi ho t having a little — r are m . s or or the e any fools In h t, after the eff ort I 60 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

ﬁni 1 etre w i h have just shed a canvas of by m , h c I

n a r m a servant is i ruit two old men o g een g, pick ng f , near a large tree discuss the tree of knowledge ; a sea

r ar This sh sket es o l u coast in the e . aky ch giv n y a vag e

t i a e t in so idea of i . I th nk I h ve n ver done any h g deeply

? i ou lo r r in o so t d sonor s in co u. The t ees are bl s m ; a dog s an s

r guard ; on the right two doves a e cooing .

Of at use is it to en t ctur wh s d on his pi e, when there are

so t rs t t not many o he ha do sell, and only make people

s rie T i r i h k his w ll only make them sh iek st ll more . I

su e am o to wi l so not t ppos I do med die of good l , as o die

And to know that there are old men who behave with the

re t t r t t the g a es ca elessness, and ha life of an honest man e t e ! dep nds on h m I mean Levy. If it had not been for himI should never have dared start f or Tahiti ; but it was “ wh r o it to . You o wn t he p oposed me can g do here quietly,

i not let ou et i t difﬁc l and we w ll y g n o any uties. Perhaps

it t t f or it no will ake ime, is t easy to make people swallow ur but i t yo work, I w ll do wha is necessary . And already ’ t t to t i i he doesn wan bo her w th t. So t conﬁdentl t I lef y, af er making these calculations that were not erroneous

Café-proprietor 2600 rams ' ! Mauﬂ ra 300 ' Framer f or Mauﬂ ra 600

3500

62 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

n urces ha through several Da ish so , t t my wife is happy,

in t t uts t at t ted lead g a life ha s i her, and h she is pro ec and

f ar i h e . petted by veryone She is from being penn less, w ile

i But e t 6 00 rancs n t ad n . 0 I have noth g had I s n her f , i s e of ’ 1 r unc 1 0 0 at w ul a e 500 f om my le s 3 0 , wh o d h ve b come of me? For now I amwithout funds and without any way of

ear own a t not el. ning my living, as my p in ing does s l My wife can sell my pictures and buy herself butter

t rt t the . Yet n the t e i tt r a s wi h money , o o h r hand, t is be e for my pictures to be placed with Danish art-lovers than

to ut the lie abo in back room of a shop . I ul t to . ounot see Meilheurat is hard beg Co d y , show

him tt if e s t u rancs my le er n ces ary, and ask a ho sand f

r him? t t o as f om I will pay hem back la er, as s on my

ff a T ll hi e tu a airs have cle red up . hen I wi send mth pic re I t ou out can it u t u old y ab , and he keep as a g aran ee, nless

ul ik to it he wo d l e have . So many people are protected because their weakness t n is known, and hey k ow how to ask. N0 one has ever

t t u t r helped me, for hey ho gh me st ong, and I have been

u - too r . Now am a t wn eeble ut p o d I c s do , f , half exha s ed h t e r t u . by me ciless s r ggle . I kneel and lay aside all pride ’ I m t i bu ur no h ng t a fail e . ’ r at n My g e consolation is music . I don t k ow how I did

it but r h trin B u , I b oke t e s gs of my guitar. e good eno gh

to two t t i send me comple e se s, and bes des : 6 D strings 6 E strings 3 G strings the t u t t r i r bes q ali y, for hey b eak eas ly he e . TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREI D

’ I m t Z tt to t i but rt . wri ing a le er similar h s, sho er ’ Yo k o t u it s u to t i u n w how o chy he is, so seless show him h s letter ; he would think that youare the privileged person .

riend t t ou too in t I see, my poor f , ha y are hav g lo s of

h t t r is ! trouble through your wife . Wa a hing ma riage

o ri nd A handclasp to Annette and t f e Maillol . Yours as ever Paul Gauguin T t t tt th u t here is a gloom in his las le er, o gh separa ed by only six months from the exhilarating and care-free epistle

the u r ﬂ d which had gone before . All old b rdens are e ecte u the tt rt t. Yet here, and above all bi er h of neglec from

t ur t t t u atl r o her so ces we know ha , ho gh gre y wo ried by

u r tut t e his pec nia y si a ion, he was working s eadily ; and th

t tu T t u t its sligh pic re given here of his ahi ian ho se, wi h

v the ﬂowerin utu at the car ed Kanaka gods, and g arb s door, “ ” r to t t t Noa a r in b ings mind ha o her book, No , w itten collaboration with Charles Morice where many of the — more romantic incidents of his life may be found those exoticisms in which the jaded Parisian taste was apt to t t But t u -u rt ake deligh . however o ched p po ions of the pic tur be it t t e may , there is in an almos mys ic reaction to the native life which is obviously sincere . t t tt His rela ions wi h his li le vahine, a child of thirteen, as complicated a creature as any Parisienne in her twen

u u tu eminin t e . ies, are a c rio s s dy in f psychology And he seems to have loved this dark skinned Tehura as only the

é r u r t he r blas and wea ied E ropean, exaspe a ed by t cold pe versities the Wt r tt t ut u r of es e n coco e, migh love a bea if l gi l i tr of th s s ange race . 64 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

The story of his journey to the mountains and of his “ ” hi t i a e urts p here is told n Noa No . Disgusted by th

s tu t the n e had nobbery and s pidi y of colonial Fre ch, b

t t t a t l r il lef Papee e for Ma aie , a na ive vi lage some fo ty k o u mt . B t t rti N t l e res away af er his pa ng from i i, a ha f '

wh urt z the t st . co e an from own, he was lonely and re less

At ﬁst th u r t m set off t the , wi a vag e p ojec in ind, he in o “ ”

tr t a oa. mountains on horseback. I ansla e here from No N “ t r u the t t As I passed h o gh dis ric of Faone a man, a na

t to . ive, called me ‘ Ohé t u t u - and , ho man who makes h man beings, come ’ t i eat with na. The smile tha accompanied this nvitation ff was t t t ot o . so engaging, ha I hal ed and g my horse And t t him t but u I en ered wi h in o a , which was f ll of men and ll t . l a women , alking and smoking Children were p aying about ‘ ’ And where art thougoing? asked a handsome woman

r of perhaps fo ty years . ‘ ’ ‘ ’ I go to Hitia And f or what reason? Then suddenly

r t t al exp essing a desire which, ill hen had been hidden most from myself, I replied . ‘ ’ To ﬁn i d a w fe . ‘ Th too u ul u ou e t . W women of Faone, , are bea if o ld y like one? ’ 66 ‘ ’

Yes. ‘ to ou ou Good, I will give her y if y like . She is my ’ r daughte . ‘Is she young? ’ 66 ‘ 9

Yes.

66 ‘ ’ PrettY? TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 65

‘ ’ And she is not ill? 66 C ’

NO .

‘ ’ l il her. Very we l, I w l see “ t ui And the woman went away . A while la er, d r ng a

ﬁsh r tu delicious meal of wild bananas and shell , she e rned with a young girl who held a small bundle in her hand .

i tr t u t u Her dress was of p nk, ansparen m slin, hro gh which Her gleamed the golden skin of her arms and shoulders .

t u . t t breas s were like two swelling b ds She was all, s rong

t . and slim, splendidly propor ioned

to sat . I spoke her and, smiling, she down beside me ‘ ’ k Youdo not fear me ? I as ed . ‘ ’ Aita (no) . ‘ ’ Would youlike to come with me and stay in my hut? ‘ ’ Eha (yes) . ’ Youare not ill? ‘ ’ Aita (no) .

The at u t r l girl s by me q ie ly, ar anging food on a arge

t ff it to t t u banana leaf, hen o ered me, and my hear bea c ri l but ous . ate t t y However I wi h enjoymen , I was deeply u T u u tro bled . his girl of abo t thirteen years (she wo ld

t tw t u r et have been eigh een or en y in E rope) cha med me, y t t h t t . Wt t I fel imid, almos frigh ened a migh be in her u? u i so l I tho ght. Perhaps t is only in obedience to her ’ t r mo he s command . Perhaps it is an arrangement they t have agreed on among hemselves . “ But a on looking t her I was reassured . For in her

nne tur ma r and ges e were pride and independence, and my f aith came back when I noticed upon her face the calm THE I E ITERS OF PAUL GAUGUI N

content nent which in mose sﬁll young so of tm is the

i l c Yet accompan ment of an honourable and laudab e a t. there were mockin lin about her ovel tender and g es l y,

ture might be less f or her than for me. “ ' lhen came the hour of departure ; but bef ore leaving I had to give her mother a promise that she might come home f or a visi at the end of e ht a and t at if she t ig d ys, h

by me. “ At Taravao I returned to the gendarme the horse which

I had rente f or e tri and an un ea nt in o ur e . d th p, pl sa th g cc r d

His wif e was a ren n s to wit ut F chwoma , and she aid me, ho in tiona ma i e bu tact e : ten l l c , t l ssly ‘ ’ Howl Youbring such a hussy back with you? And with an e es she e i the u r met her gry y xam ned yo ng gi l, who in u in ui ff s lt g scr t ny with a complete indi erence . “ ' f r i 0 11 the I he two women o f e ed a symbol c spectacle . one side was nature and trust and a delicious blossoming

of natura t i . Outhe t r rren l h ngs o he , ba ness and law and

a iﬁce. The two r met t r c to was rt aces he e fa e face, and I i t t ashamed of m ne . How ugly and in oleran and con

l ur r i u k to emtib e it was. t t t p And I ned f om q ic ly, feel — again the warmth and joy and glamour of the other this living gold that I already loved . “ T ra h r th t us t u At a vao e family, a had accompanied h s

r o rn rt r us— ut at the f ar on ou j u ey, pa ed f om j s China ’ n s hut—t t i t i i u r ma ha Ch naman who sells every h ng, l q o nd f ruit and th and o be t and mn a clo es weap ns, and as s wo e and men TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 67

“ And my wif e and I took the stage-coach which left us

tw t -ﬁve t ut ou at t en y kilome res f r her , Ma aiea , where I ” lived .

Now at last it seemed as if Gauguin were truly happy .

The days followed one another softly and without care.

r th r Afte e p omised visit to her people his wife returned,

to uui t t t to and Ga g n , who had feared ha she migh decide him u t t r t u t. He leave af er all, his e rn was a joyo s even t tt é u t e welcomed her, his bi er and blas E ropean, his savag

t hit ca t he whom mos w e women disliked and f red, wi h t sim

lici Bu p ty and clear joy of a youth . t one day he was

orced to o to t f g Papee e on business . “ to tu t t but I had promised re rn ha evening, he says, the coach went only half-way and I had to do the rest on I foot. t was one in the morning before I reached our u ho se . “

h . n . Th i ut I opened t e door. My heart sa k e l ght was o

Tr t t u l embling wi h fear and dread I s r ck a match quick y, i t fear ng hat she had gone . “ T bue i i wn e r , immob le and naked, was ly ng face do

the t t wards on bed, her eyes dila ed wi h fear . She stared at me without recognition . And I myself stood there for

o r u t I l s t t . too e t the t r me ime, s angely ncer ain , , f erro of

Tehura. A phosphorescent light seemed to stream from her eyes . I had never seen her so beautiful . And in the dark ut u t ness which m s be for her f ll of ghas ly apparitions, I ’ to r was afraid move, for fea of increasing the child s

r t. ul t the f igh Perhaps she wo d hink me one of demons,

t Tu a aus i one of hose p p , wh ch the people of her race think 68 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

An did r n rove about throt the night. d I eally k ow who she was herself She seemed changed into a strange be ' in diﬁ erent f r an t i v r w . g, om y h ng I had e e kno n “ At ast to r l t l e t and l she came he se f, and I a k d wi h her, tried to reason with her and to restore her conﬁdence. “ ul i t t t S k ng, she lis ened o my words, and hen said in a ‘ N r a t ut trembling voice . eve le ve me alone again wi ho ’ light. “ And scarcely had her fear been assuaged when she asked with jealousy : ‘ And what did youdo in town? I know that youhave been with the women who dance and drink in the market ’

t t . place, and who give hemselves o all the world “ Bu ul u r t t I wo d not q arrel with her . I kissed he sof ly

the t ur u h and nigh was glamo o s a tropical nig t.

u t th u un the All d ring his mon of J ne, Gaug i was in hos

t uff r t rr th t ll pi al, s e ing e ibly, bo men a y and physically,

u to ff . u in nable a ord proper care And here he o tl es a plan,

t u it ut t i e tru t which ho gh l ima ely fa l d, was ins men al in

i the t t Vollard gain ng in eres of , a Parisian dealer, who, ’ r u i t t u u . la e , ook m ch of Ga g n s work

XVIII

un 1896 . J e, My dear Daniel An idea has come to me ; youcan understand that while ill t but tu thi I em in bed, I do no hing rn ngs over in my

n tr ir to ﬁn wa out m diﬂicultics. Th s is mi d, y jjg d a y of y i

70 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

i i a tu i au i t s s pid evas on, bec se t is all the same whether . t e bu at r a at t h y y low prices f om a de ler, an exhibi ion, or

r the t f om me ; besides, scheme allows an ar ist to work,

is the rta t thi . T t it which impo n ng his hen is my plan, and seems to me it will not be very difﬁcult to put through if

o out i i the we g ab t n right way .

The i ! n To two u dev l I am ot greedy . make h ndred frame a month (less than a labourer) at almost ﬁf ty years

ith r ut ti . of age, and w a p etty fair rep a on

It l to t r n t s is need ess say hat neve havi g sold ra h, I shall

ot i Th u ut n begin t now. e pict res I send will be done j s as well as were the former ones that I did for my exhibi u ti . t it on If I resign myself o poverty, is beca se I wish t to do no hing but art. Wn l t i 1 t u he I ef my w fe in Denmark, lef all my ho se

ff ul tu t . t l etc. hold e ec s, inen, , as well as sc p re and pain ings u My collection was bought f or about francs . Pl s

uit u l u the q e a n mber of o d canvases of mine, pl s canvases

es and ceramics youhave sent during my stay here . I

h rancs u 4000 timate t e sale of all this at f , pl s nl f rancs that I have sent on several occasions . I have o y ’ ’ — r e 93 94 h d awn th 600 francs youknow of in , and I ave a i d i lways l ve l ke a tramp . So my instructions to prepare for my future by selling in t ut Denmark have proved usefulonly to my wife, wi ho any

i t am u t t the poss bili y of beneﬁt for me . I s re ha consign ment of canvases sent by Z will be quickly sold and that my wife will ask f or more .

re is h h sk He w at I wish done . Wen my wife a s for can TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 71

r t t t d to irr r vases, w i e her ha , accor ing my evocable orde , youmay send three canvases only against an advance of

400 francs.

h rt -t r the ca I wish, in s o , one hi d of sale price of my pi

ﬁdence i con t . tures, and, as I have no , I wish in advance

That is understood . “ You ur ett r : You the t ou say in yo l e , s rong man, are y ” ? I em t t t cast down Yes, pros ra e and seem o lose all my

t the t the utu energy when I hink of presen and of f re . My t tt r ut streng h is gone, u e ly exha s ed by days and sleepless Th nights of suff ering with my foot . e whole ankle is

r n h t u t t f or y e . one g ea wo d, and has been ha way months When I work I amdistracted and gain strength ; but

it ut t t ut ood t u w ho work, almos wi ho f and wi ho t money, what will become of me? No matter how strong one is there are walls one cannot scale .

f r o Many thanks o all the trouble y uare taking .

ur Cordially yo s, Paul Gauguin

at T ti t 12th un 1896 Made ahi his day of J e, . T t i his Agreemen , made in all freedom, n no spirit of future recrimination and to assure f or ﬁve consecutive

r years my a t work . I agree to send every year in advance ﬁf teen canvases conscientiously executed according to my artistic faith which will be divided between the signatories of this Agree ment which binds them to send annually the sumtotal of

PaulGauguin 72 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

u 13th 1896 . J ly , My dear Daniel

f ew a t r f or i il a th t A h s y wo ds th s ma . I min e hospi al,

l st at the end uff r o ett a mo of my s e ing, for I hope t be b er in a month ; but how shall I pay? Last month you and ' Mauﬂ r said that money would come . A mistake . a

uses i s f un e vi exc h m el , large and fores en expenses ha ng kept him from sending any no money this month either and no letter from anyone . I shall go mad and am

rite out i t ofﬁcer to I w y h s mon h, as an is going back

F i l t the canva t him rance and w l ake some of ses wi h , though they are not very goo d on account of the condition

amin t t to I ; and besides, my emperamen forces me do a

tur everishl at —but n pic e f y, all one swoop now, worki g only an hour or so a day . u t v r t . Howe e , s ch as hey are, I shall send hem Perhaps t u t t they are good . In hem is so m ch of agony ha perhaps

r ut the awkwa dness of the exec ion may be overlooked .

clair Mau says my coarseness and brutality are revolting . What iniquity ! I emtired !

Cordially, Paul Gauguin TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 73

uut 1896 . A g s , My dear Daniel

o I receive a letter from y uand from Z That is all .

u t tt Maulf ra Both of yo think tha I have go en money from ,

u r t . So t bu no , ho gh I have been here for a yea , and in

t n t not et Spi e of their k owledge of my posi ion, I do g a Y u t centime from those who are in my debt. oum st admi i t that t is enough to make the s rongest man despair. I

out the ta come of hospi l, and imagine my feelings on having to admit that even later I would only be able to 140 a pay fr ncs .

T Go d uff t u ut hank , I s er no longer, ho gh only abo half cured ; but I emvery weak and have only water and a little u boiled rice for no rishment.

tte u has wri n me a really senseless and njust letter,

not to his t u and I do know how reply , for is r ly a sick u u. x t t so l His e hibi ion was a comple e fail re, so now he t nk r u t I e hi s himself far mo e nhappy han , who have fam ,

t t t ! it i the t s reng h and heal h Imagine I have gif , he says, “ t u I of making o her people jealo s . And he adds f you had been careful and far- seeing youwould now be on Easy t t t tt s ree , and wi h a li le more care and a little more kind

riendliness t u t u ness and f owards yo r con emporaries, yo r u ” life wo ld be very happy . ’ Eh bien u t c : t ﬁnd , I q es ion my onscience I can any

t . a to hing I have never been me n, even my enemies ; on the t r at the t difﬁcult t con ra y, mos imes of my life I have

r t r t t u rtun t mo e han sha ed wi h hose who were nfo a e, and 74 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

r has to t n my eward been be hrow over completely . I saved Laval from suicide and have given away more t t B han half of wha I possessed . I helped both with inﬂu t ence Yo t . u money and . uknow wha happened I fo gh

r t r r ur t f o o he s : they b oke my leg for me . D ing my las ’ ta F I s y in rance . was as kind as possible to the Ws

r No tt t and always with puse in hand . le ers from hem T am t t t hat is how unsocial I . I admi ha my words are

t t not ﬂatter some imes sarcas ic, I do , bend my back, and

u fﬁ i l ow Z sneak abo t begging in the o c a salons . N

t to t t t u the t t to wan s pe i ion, and I hink selessly, for S a e

I t the th u t come to my aid . is ing I sho ld dislike mos

r nd to u t et e of all . I ask f ie s help me n il I can g th money

t due but to the t t tha is me, beg from S a e has never been

n t All ru o e t . t t e th t my i en ion my s ggles k ep clean, digni y

to t t u I have forced myself main ain all hro gh my life, F t would lose their character on that day. rom hen on I ul t u Bu sho d be no more than an in rig ing rascal . t if I u tt — it t u u —t i ul s bmi ed yes, is r e eno gh h ngs wo d be easy

T u r n . t ot t to for me r ly, his is a so row I did expec have

u un u ta o r . t hear. I was bo n nder an l cky s r I see from your letter that youare not happy and that u if t u Z yo r w e is treating youa rocio sly . who sees only

own t u u to ou to t t his ro ble wo ld say y , as he says me, ha ’ e e t in our youare hard on her. Wsee th mo e wife s eye ’ th the our and fail to see e beam in eye of neighbor s wife . A handshake from your devoted

Paul Gauguin TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 75

ranc d e In the meantime a few hundred f s ha com , and t himnow he was able to leave the hospi al , so we see ,

f or t the t re encouraged and eager work, wi h mos p ssing of his debts disposed of

1896 November, . My dear Daniel ’ — urs I e n in . m i n I received only one letter yo Yes, b g g

t emt anta it to get bet er, and aking adv ge of by doing a

lo u u tr i the r . t t . t of work, sc lp re I s ew all over g ass ’ l —ﬁrst it u t n Clay covered with wax s a woman, a n de, he l i i tt The a superb y fantast c lion playing with ts li le one .

t t a r u na ives, who know no hing of wild nimals, are ve y m ch t i exci ed over t.

ut the ué r t i to J s imagine, C r did eve y h ng possible make

ta the r Th u me ke in lady who wo e no clothes . e j dge laughed in his face and I sent him properly about his l u . the t i b siness Ah, if I on y had money hat is ow ng me,

u xt my life wo ld be e raordinarily calmand happy . I

the t - r shall soon be fa her of a half caste, my cha ming dul cinea has decided to lay . My studio is very beautiful and the ti u t l ou in e me goes q ickly . I can e l y that from six th

u t lot morning n il noon I can do a of good work . Ah my

a ou t T de r Daniel, if only y knew his ahitian life you ul not t to an t wo d wan live in y o her way .

ur r Yo s co dially, 76 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

rur 14 1897 . Feb a y , My dear Daniel

On the 6th chrus t r r at of F y I received you lette , d ed

November 26th t ur t r i , which proves hat o pos al se v ce is

r t r z the p et y well o gani ed . As for showing the canvases ( Independent Secessionists) I must tell youthat I amnot in the a t rt o T t 0 0 1 Z le s pa ial t exhibitions . ha f of a can

i of x t u t etc . t see only th nk e hibi ions, p blici y, , and canno

u a that the result is disastro s . I have many enemies and m

t to t t on to fa ed have hem always, and even as ime goes , have more and more ; so whenever I exhibit they wake u T ut the art r th ar p and yelp . hey disg s love and ey we y

. The t to n him bes way sell is in silence, always worki g

th Van o to at with e dealer. G gh alone was able cre e his own clientele ; to- day no one knows how to tempt the ama

ur k r te . Th are t t n t ve ere hose who , hi ing hemselves y

u t t t r t t . We t t clever, deny his m s prove ha hey are w ong ; ha the right way is to leave a picture six months or a year with u t u it a serio s ama e r, and when he has seen over and over

i d it r to it t bu aga n, compare , lea ned love , hen he can y i i Th t the t to t or give t back. a is correc way show my

Tr to u he t t t pictures . y pers ade t dealers ha his is a good

t h ut not too difﬁcult . sys em . As for t e price, we m s be

Wh t r u t t t en he e is a crowd of b yers af er hem, here will m t t always be ti e to raise . I have no hirs for glory or

t t but to u t luxury. I wan no hing live here q ie ly in my

ou u u adorable place . If ever y sho ld be f ree, if yo r

r ul u tr outo mothe sho d die, I wo ld s ongly advise y come

78 THE IEI'I'ERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

i o - d think t a od thin . marine oﬁ cer l ho e will sen g g A , p ,

order rom shoemake T lance 4 rue Varin a air f my r, ho , , p

of lace boots. wish u ian eath as u d I R ss l er, s pple as ’

ossi not ined . i e w n o ts w t t e p ble ; l L k ome s b o , i h eyele hol s ; ’ so et in li wn s e ost ro h b . m h g ke a clo , lac d alm f m t e ottom “ ” t h at th e sa e e i. e . es rce in t I y yel , hol pie d e le her ; e sol projecting well beyond the upper and the toe very square . My sore foot demands absolutely a footwear seamless

s a a ti t e at will. Wt t in ide and c p ble of being gh en d i h his,

r a the est t s a large sized bottle of ed polish . M ke b erm

- ia n . ur A cord l ha d shake All yo s, Paul Gauguin

XXIII

12 r 1 897 . Ma ch, My dear Daniel Youwill receive with this letter the canvases I spoke of ’ t the - tu t last mon h, as war ship s depar re was pos

ten t t th o poned for days . I ook advan age of e delay t do

to tt t the another canvas, which seems me even be er han

r t t the t the ut . Te R r ioa es , in spi e of has e of exec ion e e

L the t t . i ( e Réve) is i le All is dream in th s canvas,

t it the hi the t r the rs the whe her be c ld , mo he , ho eman in

h r f i t ? path, or t e d eam o the pa n er TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 79

th i t r tin t . Who All is s apar f om pain g, hey will say knows? Perhaps not e Just now I feel better and ready for work. I shall mak up the time I lost and the number of my canvases may

threaten to encumber you give them to Chaudet .

ut t u r t out the t B as here are so few b ye s, ake some of bes

at a t t to our riends u t e e ch shipmen , show hem f , and p t h m

It ett r to the f r the away in your garret. is b e keep best o day (hoped for anyway) when I can get better prices for l Z t . A b not et t t . He hem ove all , do meddle wi h hem

u t ti t r wo ld cram me in o an exhibi on wi h Be nard, Denis,

etc. ul the M rc r th Ranson, , which wo d give e ue e chance to say that van Gogh and Cézanne are the real leaders

t No ou xhib t of the r . mode n movemen , y see, e i ions are of

r use to t to at u ut to no eal me, excep c ch me nj s ly and mix A t me up with God knows whom . t an exhibi ion in London “ t at r t ur h I emember, hey said , Monsie Degas seems to u ” be quite a good p pil of de Nittis . By to-morrow I shall have become the pupil of Bernard i u u the u Sérus er. t and of In sc lp re p pil of Paco . Youtold me in your letter that youcontinue to paint

o u ou ﬁf teen a . Yo t as y did years g are mistaken . Wha ’ youshowed at the Independents last time in 95 was not

ur fif teen You t at all like yo work of years ago . are righ to work with dignity and not run around like Z after ' the toy of a human halo ; but it is useless to efl ace yourself ' r u - fl ac mn f o the pleas re of self e e e t.

The tt r the ollowin t S le e of f g mon h peaks volumes . How ever indiff erent Gauguin seems to have been to the or 80 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

as we know tha n, the deaﬂ1 of this daughter came to himas a bmtal shw kﬁ he unex

to soften. I t would be interesting to clear up some of the dim

c ura ment ha the s wi e. Wt a ltt e n o e e s and hi f i h i l e g p r p ,

r cc r en e of h sh ma e note is the only cuious o ur c w ich I all k , ﬁnding of a smallmanuscript left half - ﬁnished at the time

r l I t was entitled of his death in the Ma quesas Is ands. ” ” u what i The Advice of a Father to his Da ghte r. Just th s

r i I r advice was it would be inte est ng to know. t was neve

e u rsta t t allt e it st. publish d, and now I nde nd ha rac of is lo

u ur e t t it was a ro i a the R mo go s ha cynic lly i n c l, worldly

- wisdom of a bitter and broken spirited man. But after the death of this daughter he wrote “ u t . I have just lost my da gh er I no longer love God .

i a lin L ke my mother she was c lled A e . “ We alllove in our own way ; some love exalts even unto

‘ Others I do not know. “ ul t w t ﬂowers? I And her sep chre is here, i h t is only an i illus on . “

Her t r . t ar are ﬂo r omb is he e, near me My e s her we s ; ” r they a e living things . And to those for whom Gauguin has seemed so often

the rut s ﬁ hter u only harsh and hle s g , whose ironic tong e

as riends t t u r l hed f and enemies alike, hese o ching wo ds come as a curious surprise . TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREI D

XXI V

r 1 7 89 . Ap il , My dear Daniel Your letter arrives at the same time as a short and ter r t ll ible letter from my wife . She ells me bruta y of the death of my oldest daughter who was carried off in a few u u Th days by pernicio s pne monia . e news did not move t ul ff wn u to u . T me par ic arly, I have gro so sed s ering hen

r the u each day memo y comes back, wo nd opens more u I ’ t m t c u . deeply, and j s now comple ely dis o raged Surely in the heavens I must have some enemy who will not give me even a few peaceful moments . ut tt t u J s now when I was ge ing on my fee , and had eno gh

to to cw t amhit n . money be able work for a f mon hs, I agai The woman who rented me the bit of ground on which I

u t u u ff r b il my ho se has j st died, leaving her a ai s in a bad

tat in u the t . o s e, and conseq ence proper y has been sold S

amin r t u here I sea ch of ano her piece of gro nd, and I

orc u i shall be f ed to reb ild ; t is enough to drive one mad . I have received from Z his absurd portrait of me in “ ” T The Men of the Day . hat fellow makes me tired ; gives i h the s r t e . t r te t ! me h ve s ; fool And wha p e n ion A cross, ! Th ﬂames . Bah ere youhave symbolism .

u in riendshi Yo rs all f p, Paul Gauguin 82 THE LETTERS 0 1" PAUL GAUGUI N

My dear Daniel

’ I n the lut maill received that lelter f mmmy wif e wilh ’ I omhow ettin used to it and an wa the bad news. ms e g g , y y

i Th e confusion of allsorts mat lamin I wrote youof t.

l I t k e s m thouhts mw is a gw d thing probab y. e p y g

Without a lot of round o li ed to tear down m p g , b g y

in spite of tlw f act that he promised me 800 f rancs in the

ff l n ri e reme . B n ort of wi a d a ushin dy y a e l, n v q i g my p d ,

I be e su icate intri ue ti l ﬁnall was gg d, ppl d and g d, l y I able to obta in a loan of 1000 francs fromthe Caisse Agri

Ban ue T ti th it ouht cole ( q de ahi ) for a year. Wi I b g a

bit of rOI m f or 700 ran s too ar f or me but it was g d f c ( l ge ,

allthere was f or sale ) quite near to where I was before . With the 700 francs remaining I have rebuilt and have

n sett 200 r s v gotte led again . And I still have f anc for li ing

ex n es ter l pe s . La I wi l get back the price of my property,

f or there are ou a un ut tr the la ab t h dred cocoan ees on p ce, which should bring me in about ﬁve hundred francs a

ear. And e i a to e the y b s des if I mobliged s ll some day,

imro eme p v nts I will make will augment its value . If my health allo s it and a till f ew ou w , I h ve s a s s to spend, I inten to lant so e nill i a d p m va a, wh ch p ys well, without TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 83

k being too much work . Who nows ! Perhaps some day I

l rec ou of ifﬁc i can be real y f and t all d ult es.

ro ou e u And f m now on y are fre , and rid of yo r wife . I u th t u congratulate yo . As for e dis rib tion of your prop ’ ’ r a t t t t i l e ty, I c n say any hing for I don know whe her t wi l ut be to your advantage . J s ice in these cases is generally

rt to our . t am the to r pa ial ladies I hink I on road recove y,

i ec but t will be a long siege and my f t are still in bandages. ’ B it t tt amnot uff r ut doesn ma er, for I s e ing and ’ u t tt . work a li le I ve beg n, I hink, a lovely canvas ( The — Dwellin - lace o Souls Te Rohutu u t g p f ) I incl de a ske ch, u t it but only for your am semen , for really gives little idea

of it the ur r rt t. Wt , colo being always ve y impo an ha more

ou ut t t t am t r shall I tell y abo , expec ha I so hankful f o your monthly letters .

t t f or t ou th n Many mon hs, as his ins ance, y are e o ly

r one who writes to me . I w ote to Degas almost a year t u but . t the t t ago , have had no answer I fear ha s pidi ies of Z may have given him a worse idea of me than

r to . he had befo e . My regards Maillol

r Co dially always, Paul Gauguin

The frantic and despairing letter which follows marks the beginning of a series of tragic disappointments and

t ﬁnancial but u to ar t worries, mos ly , do bly hard be hrough

uu uff ri t at o the contin o s physical s e ng h acc mpanied them .

r not ece r . t i t They we e n ssa y His work sold s ead ly, hough

r e s e t d s t u the p ic s, e p cially o ay, eem pi if lly small ; but 84 THE I ETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUI N trouble arose through the neglect and dishones ty of the

r o e H Parisian deale s on whom he had t dep nd . e writes

e so ten t t u t t o : her , as of , wi h mono ono s rei era i n “ — Chaudet has not written a line f or four months if he ” were angry youwould know of it . The Chaudet mentioned here seems not to have been a

but r t r r t t u undamentall t rogue, a he an e ra ic ho gh f y hones

in e uui lef t dealer, whos hands Ga g n had many of his '

ﬁnancialaﬁairs.

The letters are often from this time on a succession of pleas to de Monf reid f or the collection of the money which he had depended on to make possible his Polyne

u t i i r a . tte si n life I have omi d m ch of h s, giv ng only a b ief

utli t t rr st u f or t the o ne of hose e ible r ggles mere exis ence,

l r l detai s of which a e often difﬁcult to fo low . Yet how pitifully small was the sumon which he could have been — content and happy ! Fot ty dollars a month and each fot ty dollars meant the acquisition of one of his paintings — yet f or years even this sum remained impossible to An u compass . d ass redly had it not been for the devotion ’ Monf reid u ui t ul of Daniel de , Ga g n s exis ence wo d have ﬁ been doomed from the rst.

XXVI

ul 14 th 1 97. J y , 8 My dear Daniel

i e r Th My lln ss has g own worse . e money sent by Chau det did u t — t me so m ch good , hen all hese last worries ’ — have done me up . I don t know what will happen in debt

86 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

a r in t t t t . e i and ex reme hea , hey ran grea risks Onc

t i th r not t. a stre ched and varn shed, e isk is so grea In c se

t r rt t t t of disas e , Po ier has an excellen transferrer, and ha

t t t r so t rw se t t ou cos s wen y f ancs or ; o he i , his is wha y can do : paste paper with library paste onto the painted side ; ! tur t i u then n the canvas, s retch t on a plank and po r over

it t t t . a t hin pas e, almos cold Spre d well wi h a knife and wipe it so that the paste passes underneath through the

t . dr it t t Spanish whi e Once y, iron wi h a modera ely warm

u the r u u s . T t i on, sing as m ch press re as po sible hen af er

t t the the canvas is well s re ched on frame, paper can be

r t am easily removed with a moist ﬁnge . Wha work I

ou! n t o giving y I repaired i his way a van G gh, which was t t peeling all over. If any cracks are s ill visible wha does it tt ? se ut the t ma er In any ca , we m s do bes we can and it is a long way from Tahiti to Paris? I see no possible means of transport f or a year and then I doubt whether I a sh ll have anything to send .

XXVII

u u 18 7 t 9 . A g s , My dear Daniel

n tt r t t . Gouzer I received a charmi g le e his mon h from Dr ,

r— the marine docto who forgot to send me his address .

He t u t t t is all en h siasm for Daniel, a alen ed pain er and an t independent spiri , who received him so kindly, and whose — l i hospitality he abused s o he says . And rea ly t was a u H great stroke of luck for him d ring his leave . e also TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID

s e t u t speak of th necessi y of my ret rn to France . With wha — ? u tu ul h and why If I sho ld re rn now, I sho d ave never

he ﬁr t t st u . But t lef in place, nless I had been mad wha

Gouzer u not t r u f or tsu says sho ld be aken se io sly, his in

r t - tions a e better han his common sense .

t t tt r the Mcreare Excep for his and a le e from , I had — nothing from you nor anyone else I do not know now ’

t to t u t . t nt t wha hink of Cha de I haven a ce and no credi , ul not even fromthe Chinaman for bread . If I co d walk

I would go into the mountains to ﬁnd something to eat . I was wrong not to have died last year ; that would have i Y tt t ul t . et t t t been be er, and wo d be idio ic now ha is wha

t he t t . I shall do af er t nex mail, if I receive no hing

The t but t t shoes came and are perfec , I canno wear hem

r ut unt am tt t ootwea . il I be er, for any sor of f h r s me Youwill probably receive this letter in Provence ; but anyway youwill soon be returning to Paris .

r Co dially, Paul Gauguin

XXVIII

t 1 97 . Oc ober, 8 ‘ My dear Daniel t u tt t As every mon h, only yo r le er comes ; no hing from

Chaudet.

the no t ou the - I was on verge of t wri ing y , for mail boat

t t the l0th to- the came in his ime on and leaves morrow, T 1 th. t the 3 hen I changed my mind, for his is almost I t n last letter I shall write . f I receive no hi g by the end 88 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

to c it of October, I shall have make my de ision . Only would have been so much better to have told me two years ago what I could expect : it would have spared me so much ff horrible mental and physical su ering . — Whatever happens I blame no one and they cannot

o t say that I have n t had pa ience and energy . The material

t . Yet t m i tt proofs are here I canno ake a liv ng, no ma er

t t t f am how miserable, wi h his pain ing, especially i I away

Bu ul ou? ow the from France . t what wo d y N ship has

bit r t c no longer a of canvas, eve y hing has been arried away and it is going on the rocks For three months I ’ h t t u ru the u t t ou t ll aven o ched a b sh, colo rs ha y sen me wi be useless for the future and here I cannot exchange them ’ i for ten sous worth of bread : t is a bitter joke . I remem

t to u t ber hose words of Levy, which Cha de agreed “ ou to tur to T t t t As y wish re n ahi i, here is a scheme ha ” tt r th will se le eve ything . And after each of em had “ the t t ou ut t : You signed con rac y know abo , hey added may be sure that whatever happens youwill always have ” t the necessi ies of life .

t t t be I hope ha in France here may silence, and above “ all that Z will not go around crying : That poor u ” u un . t u Madame Ga g i And as my pic res are nsaleable,

that they may remain unsaleable always . Then a time

t e l to t will come when h y wi l believe me be a my h, or per

haps an invention of the newspapers . They will ask “ ” But where are the pictures? The fact is there are not t t ﬁf y collec ed in France . I weary you with all these complaints but they are

the last . TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 89

I can see that you are in a productive vein ; and of ’ u tu ! t t t it s t u sc lp re Admi now, ha ei her very am sing a

r iﬂi r ut d cult . V t l q i e easy, or ve y e y easy if one hinks on y

tu diﬂicult to of na re, very if one wishes express oneself

bit t u — in —to a mys erio sly parables search for forms .

Wt ur riend the tt u t the ut ul ha yo f , li le sc lp or from So h, wo d

. the r the Cambod ien call , deforming Keep Pe sians, g s and i Th a b t of the Egyptians always in mind . e great error u i the t u t be . am is Greek, however bea if l may I going

to ou bit t hn t it ou . give y a of ec ical advice, do wi h as y like t I Mix a lot of ﬁne sand wi h your clay . t will make many useful difﬁculties for you and will keep youfrom seeing the surface and from falling into the atrocious trickiness

the u t . tw t the t u of Bea x Ar s school A clever is of h mb, a

the t t T t sleek modelling of mee ing of cheek and nos ril . ha t ul tu u is their ideal . And hen sc p re allows l mps but

r he u car ut not e . to t b n ver holes A hole is necessa y h man , H b t th o d . e to e ear of G sees and ears, perceives all wi h

th the t to t out e help of senses, which exis only be angible a a to man . S ggest th t . Al u ways cordially yo rs, Paul Gauguin

18 N 97 . ovember, My dear Daniel Wat I t ou t t h wro e y las mon h has only been delayed, for

t the 126 r t tt t u I must admit hat f ancs sen by Anne e, ho gh 90 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

’ t t not u they have given me a mon h s respi e, do help me m ch with my creditors .

Now to r , however, I have changed my decision end eve y u n th i t t e s t to tu . I thing, ho gh o ly in ense of leaving na re t t b t i but will ake longer, which is a erri le h ng for me, I f eel it a duty not to anticipate . My heart cannot with stand so many shocks and the repeated vomiting of blood that comes after all worry and emotion must bring things n t ut to a fatal end sooner or later . So I ca die wi ho — reproach but when?

At t o t r wro all even s, g on in Paris as if no hing we e ng and let me know by each mail how things are with Chaudet.

t s u tt uu ul the Z wri es me a st pid a le er as s al, f l of ul u th t but most ridic o s nonsense, in which ere is no hing h talk of his own miserable life, barren of all friends ip

He tha I a in ood health and with his comrades . hopes t m g

cl n h l ina c rri emnot to . o e wit al f n ialwo es . I going reply

He t t t t t t u ells me, however, of one in eres ing hing ; ha yo r

l r — i Ca va y is a real revelation that t is your masterpiece .

I amvery glad . If youhappen to have a good photograph u u u t . t o t made, do send a prin Sc lp re always comes well

t t t et t in pho ography, and in ha way I can g an approxima e

h ut ul u Yo r idea of t e bea if thing youm st have done . ua e

t to t not to o h righ work independen ly, and send t t e Champs de Mars ; work for your own satisfaction and not for the petty glory of being crammed into the Seminary of

Meissonier and his like .

ut to t to u riend the r I was abo forge speak of yo r f , lite 1 t ar . ut t t y chap hink he m s have a grea deal of talen , but I believe that all that should have been said of me has TO GEORGES DANIEL DE M

r ul o t t at n . been said, and a g ea deal h sho d t want only

e silence, silence and again silenc . me die quiet and

tt ut let r u forgo en, or if I m s live, me live mo e q iet and ’ r en ll t ff it fo gott sti . Wha di erence does make whether I was the pupil of Bernard or of Sérusier? If I have done ut u t t t t bea if l hings, no hing can arnish hem, and if I have

t it to the ua t done rash, why gild and deceive people as q li y of the goods? ! At all events Society cannot repros with having taken much money from its pockets by means

u t t t t ur l of lies . If I co n ed oge her hose of my pict es which

deﬁnite the u a belong in one place, n mber of c nvases I have

r t the u o given away is greate han n mber I have sold . N t

t it r that I regre ; on the contra y . If I had an income of only t r t u rancs T it ul t h ee ho sand f in ah i, I wo d give hem all

B t to t t away . y his I only mean say ha I have never ex ploited Society .

ou t t r ouzer If y wri e Doc o G give him my regards . I ’ not riendl tt have answered his f y le er, as I don t know his ’ T t r tt . t address, which can be ve y se led hese sailors do no remain ashore for long and when aboard ship they a re

You hi r ul constantly travelling. made ma wonde f present ’ i i him ur Cal r in g v ng a cast of yo va y. And you didn t

ten it Bartholomé spend years doing , as did for his tomb there are works that are pretty fair only through their T u t great importance . hese sc lp ors who do so many

use not t n ui t t l t h Ven s do hi k of f s ng all heir a en , all t e best

t t e t t i — tha is in h m, in o one grea work and calling t well — t ou e Lu nar n ta . T t wha y lik pa , for i s nce hen one migh “ ”

! a . say : There is a noble work. Bosh Wh t temperament — While you youdo a Calvary in one swoop ! Youunder 92 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUI N

t art but n ur ot wn t sts. can u s and , yo o in ere I see that yo

be t . W Z is e orate will never decora ed ell, if d c d, l at . a it t the st t so T ul wh joy Re l y cos s a e little . hey sho d decorate every one each year who asks f or it on ofﬁcial

r pape . T n f hank An ette or her letter. Al ways cordially, Paul Gauguin

One never knows what may happen . If I should die suddenly I beg youto keep all my canvases that are in

ur . yo possession, in memory of me My family has far too many already .

1 897 . December, My dear Daniel

tt u t o s u As before, no le er from Cha de , and, in c n eq ence,

t u to i no money . And deb s eno gh pay my liv ng expenses ’ I u t u to lot i the a 98 . t t for ye r mo n s p a of money, and

Yout to t will always be that way . ell me hold o the main

but ou t u sail, y know, being some hing of a sailor yo rself, ’ t to the - to the t that one can hold main sail or even mas ,

tt the - t unless one can see a li le of fore mas anyhow, and a

s r t bit of vessel . And I have ea ched my s orehouse in vain ’ but ﬁnd r t . for even a few ags of canvas, I can any

My health goes from bad to worse . And besides lack ing the quiet which it is necessary for me to have to regain ’

t t t t rea . i my los s reng h, I haven even a piece of b d I l ve on

94 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

e 700 C u t at my frugal meals . I r ceived francs from ha de ' this month and 150 from Mauﬁ ra ; with this I can pay my

o i most pressing debts and g on as before, l ving a life of

u t the z misery and of shame n il May, when bank will sei e

l it r sum everything that I have and sel for a mise able , u including my pict res . W t t ut ell , when ha happens we shall see abo doing some

ff ut t out t c t thing di erent. I m s ell y ha my de ision was aken

u to t for December . ! B t before I died I wished pain a large t t canvas tha I had in mind, and I worked day and nigh that whole month in an incredible fever) To be sure it is

n k Puvis n t t tur ot done li e a de Chavan es, ske ch af er na e,

I he r t r rt etc . t t t t p epara o y ca oon, is all done s raigh from

ru th u t the a b sh on sackclo f ll of kno s and wrinkles, so p

ﬁ h d ru r un nis e . It t e is ca eless, is ’ it to u own but t is hard j dge one s work, in spi e of that I believe that this canvas not only surpasses all my

r bu t t r t p eceding ones, t ha I shall neve do any hing better,

o i u i r t . r t t t even like Befo e dea h I p in all my energy, u u t t and a passion so doloro s, amid circ ms ances so errible, $ 80 clear was my vision that the haste of the execution is ’ t u u I t i s . s t t 5los and life s rge p doe n s nk of models, of ‘ t hn u t u s—of ec iq e, or of pre ended r le which I have always 1 u t t u t t fo gh shy, ho gh some imes wi h fear.) It is a canvas f our metres ﬁf ty in width,by one metre

t e seven y in height. Th two upper comers are chrome yel

t s t low, wi h an in crip ion on the left and my name on the

ht c r t and rig , like a fresco whose o ners are spoiled wi h age, which is appliquéed upon a golden wall: To the right

96 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

In about two months I think I shall be able to send on

e . tr to t r th large canvas I will y add some o he s . N writes me that the book is no longer published by the

ue Blanche but t u Rev , will probably be aken p by Char

entier u tt the t i t ub p , which is m ch be er from s andpo n of p t t u licit t r . o t y, and herefo e of money I hope ha y are aking

it l t i r an interest in and wi l do every h ng necessa y. Who knows whether this book may not give me a lift and help my painting? At least it will not do it any harm .

amt w t so t ou rm I ired of ri ing, I close, aking y wa ly by the hand . u t Yo rs devo edly, Paul Gauguin

The t tin uu t ~ grea pain g of which Ga g in wri es here, exe cuted perhaps under the most sombre and terrible circum — stances in which a work of art was ever conceived painted in a frenzy of creation under the shadow of approaching u — o u t i th u s icide is now l oked pon as his mas erp ece, o gh its symbolism is enigmatic and was termed incomprehen

The sible by many of its earlier beholders . description of it given by Charles Morice is admirable and may serve perhaps as an illuminating conclusion to the foregoing

He t letter . wro e : “ ’ Whether or not this work is the greatest of all Gauguin s

t it rt the mt u I is pain ings, is ce ainly among os bea tiful . t one of those in which one cannot mistake the hand of a

not tru t t mr u h master. I do ly know of any ha is o e f ll of t e things of the spirit ; and it was hardly necessary for the TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID artist to tell us that in this astonishing page his thought stood revealed . “ t at ﬁrs t ert it As onishing and t sigh disconc ing, seemed

t t t to t n the complica ed and confused . One is emp ed hi k forms too numerous and too varied : these naked men and

t e r u women, and hese men and women in robes ; th eno mo s “ ﬁ ure w i t e r t th tr crouching g h ch breaks h pe spec ive, ese ees,

o t t t t the t these tw ca s, his whi e goa and whi e bird holding a

e tt the lizard in its claws ; th li le sleeping child and dying,

c t the de repi old woman, and idol

“ ‘ T tt tt u our t the hen, li le by li le, nder fascina ed eyes

t o n t the composi ion is c ordi a ed, masses become balanced , , the i t t t be' l l nes follow one ano her, es ablishing rela ions ‘ t the ﬁ ures—t t t u u t ween g aci , fa al, nconscio s sympa hies,

the t u s t the t t t which conceal mos precio s ecre , grea es gif of — — life . An d truly here Gauguin was not mistaken life

It u u t t u the runs through it in abundance . nd la es hro gh

i t in the -lit to woods, t amasses i self half places mirror itself in the calm water of the brook farther on . Against the blue and Veronese green the nude ﬁgures stand out i no u . orange coloured . And the thought is t obsc re Is t then an answer to those three questions written on the canvas i ? o I u t t . t edge N . t is rather the q es ions hemselves For is the study of them which makes up human life .

r t But not the its u The . a ms praised, indica ed Beyond is idol the work of man? And the old dying woman whose — face is so resigned how far does she consent to disap pearance and to death? And the slumbering child suggests the u i t u t t u t th n n err p ed con in ance of exis ence, e endless suc e ion c ss of beings . 98 THE LETT ERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

u t the e two ur e- ﬁ ure B t wha of s p pl clad g s, whose ex change of meditations seems to conclude the work by some grand and noble afﬁrmation of immortality “ And ever the bird and the lizard are there to remind

— - us and it is Gauguin who tells us so of the uselessness ‘ r of wo ds . “ not r t t t or I do w i e hese lines as an explana ion, even as — a description of this complex work this marvel of painted

r r Th t r tu r e tu . e li e a e, which dese v s a longe s dy hope and

a t rtu rit t agony of a gre t and o red spi , which, feeling i self

t ouht to r called by dea h, s g make eply, is rendered here by

i r t r t t t t ut ur th s ve i able C edo of ar is ic fai h, in a plas ic o po ' in t r xtr n g of enderness and reve ie, e aordinarily perso al d ” 1n 1ts t r u an i uit . arden , dolo o s myst c p r y

XXXII

r 8. Ma ch, 189 My dear Daniel

T h tt r th th t he hings ave been be e is mon , hanks to t seven

ranc t t u t o unharras hundred f s ha Cha de sent ; and s , sed by creditors I have been able to rest a little and things look less black in spite of the disaster looming on the horizon — f or the month of May twelve hundred francs to pay the

aisse A ricol uff the t C g a. I s er less and pains in my emples

r u are lighte . B t I emso prostrated that I cannot even

r hold a b ush .

e the r B sides, la ge canvas has absorbed all my vitality ’ or r it b th a f the p esent. I look at y e hour nd (I ll admit

100 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

nor t il and this way the book will have neither head a , the money to be had from it will be almost nil

i ut r t i I think I have sa d abo eve y h ng, and have only talked shop . ur Yo always cordially,

P. Gauguin . W r t t t L in N r w i es me ha who is o way, has

. t f or He taken two of my canvases I remble them . is it going to marry a Finn this year. I p y the poor girl t if women are ever to be pi ied .

’ u a I t s The book spoken of here was of co rse Noa No . u rtu t é ut in the Revu Blanche ollowed nfo na e d b e , was f by

For e u to ﬁnd u r another check. Moric was nable a p blishe

i ﬁnall it t at his own for t and y had prin ed expense, a

u u o co rse which bro ght in no money t the artist. ll And now the worst befell Gauguin . He was fina y forced to give up his painting and to humble himself he T l fore the despised ahitian officia s. Month after month went by without the coming of the promised money ; his “ ” r t chez le c inoi ut at st c edi h s was exha s ed , and so la we find him making drawings and lineary designs at six francs

the sum the a day, which was allowed him by Colonial

Government. He remained at his work f or nearly nine

t t s ﬂoat mon hs, and so kep himself barely , for several times he had to give up entirely and go to the hospital . — The society of amateurs he had hoped to form men interested enough in his work to guarantee him an income — 2400 rancs in tu ut ut of f a year, re rn for his whole o p had failed . And he lived in fear of having his little property TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREI D 101

u ﬁndin t tut But sold p and of g himself comple ely desti e . this last misfortune was averted by his own courageous eff orts and by the arrival of a few thousand francs towards the the 1898 th to the t end of year , anks devo ion of his

ri n I difﬁcul e d . t t t t t ths f is wi h hese mos mon , perhaps, of ’ Gauguin s whole life that the following letters are con

r ce ned .

XXXIII

1898. April, My dear Daniel The 1200 franos will be due next month and I tremble ' o t u t or Mauﬁ ra like a leaf. Nothing fr m ei her Cha de ’ u u t t t so . W which means ha I haven a ell, I screwed p my courage and ﬂattened myself out before the Go vernment

l he i ia . tt t ofﬁc s And I have go en some work, mak ng of

the . lineary designs, for daily wage of six francs From

ut ut our u the t u that I m s ded c f S ndays, ren of a ho se in ll— t it town and the wear on my clothes . We wha does matter? I must swallow my shame and do work which

I B uc u . to t t t a h is ordered by the artillery g ard t is his ha y, ' nl t Mauﬁ ra and his like have led me . If o y I had died las month ! N0 one can say that I have n ot done my best to

ﬂoa keep a t .

Now h t ti u — hi I ave s opped p—ain ng, nless some day w ch seems very improbable things return to their normal condition . Youspoke in one of your last letters of my returning to

r re-e t ri t Pa is and n e ng he Bourse. 102 THE IE I'I'ERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

First of all I could not obtain passage at the expense

n ext t re are too u of the colo y. N he many yo ng Jews ready to enter the brokerage houses for them to want an

ﬁf i u r old fellow of nearly ty. And perhaps t wo ld be mo e diﬁ cult to make six francs a day in Paris than it is in

t i rts rea it neces Papee e. And bes des, all so of sons make

r o r sary f o me t emain here . T i ut m r r t t h s D ch an, Meier G aefe, who w o e me, ells me

’ ‘ n that he has three paintings of mine. I don t k ow how he

unl hat rr C t to . secured them, ess t ho ible sold hem him i i t i u n wn in ult It s poss ble that h s nk o admirer has, defa

h oo n t ns I t t e llto uti m of ric es, g d con ec io . migh b we lise hi ,

o e a i tr u r f h if p ssibl . Holl nd s an ex aordinary co nt y or t e

c r sale of pi tues. i Always cord ally,

Paul Gauguin .

u 1 98. J ly, 8 My dear Daniel

Like last month I have had no letter from anyone . I

l t r a ou v u fee los . Pe h ps y are ha ing tro ble in the South

T t e n on account of your mother. his mon h I msendi g you by a marine oﬂicer all the canvases I have done this year ;

r itt ou t am ve y l le work as y see, and now hat I employed

I can do nothing.

The r tur rt th la ge pic e is pa ly worked over wi pastel . I

id t t as I an r d ha w ted to have it photog aphed . In washing

THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUI N

r h u t i not it te —he i r Ma ia , s o ld wan t, do hes a l kes impo tant pieces. ’ I t s u e to s to Sérusier and to sel ss end his crowd, and ui t h ht r . t o t t e the p ess Q e ly, and only hose who have rig ,

r c . t and the ca ds a few days in advan e If youthink bes , add some of the canvases belonging to youand to Chaudet.

The a r but large c nvas needs a f ame, as cheap a one as

o e—a tr 10 e t t p ssibl plain s ip of wood, c n ime res wide,

ite u f or the and wh washed so as to resemble a m ral . As

t ou u ut 30 . Wt o her canvases, y have frames meas ring abo i h the other things I sent last year youwill have enough for a nice little exhibition .

Cordially, Paul Gauguin

The ttl t tt u ll the li e lis , jo ed down so cas a y, as names of t t t e t x t illumin hose who migh be in er s ed in his e hibi ion, is

t n the xt . t n u the a i g in e reme How many men, dis i g ished in

tt art hccurred to the world of le ers and of , familiarly

the t despised exile, working here in French Governmen ofﬁce at six francs a day! Degas and Carriere and Renoir ar t Puvis th e here, and Rodin and de Chavannes, e greatest

t t th t . Wt t it ut ar is s of eir ime ha a ga hering m s have been, where An atole France and Octave Mirbeaurubbed shoul

t t r e the ders wi h Michele , and where Malla m , poet of the

utu t rt t n f ris s, walked apa , hi king again perhaps of that odd “ ’ r tent de m stere dens tant d écl ph ase of his, y ot, as the t t u t enigma ic canvases glowed from heir q ie places on walls . TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 105

XXXV

u ut 15th 1898 . A g s , My dear Daniel I received your two letters and I have only a few mo

o t the ments in which t reply . Since his miserable war mail comes in on a steamboat that leaves again immedi

r u t o . 7 ancs S ately I received also 00 f from Cha de . from a B t u now on I mfree of all debt here . ut I must con in e in this modest employment awaiting the moment of deliv erance t u u , when I can ake p my br shes again, and I shall not i At t do t until I have some money in hand . any ra e

t to th t u t to et I shall be able, hanks e rela ive q ie , g back

a some of my health . I mmuch afraid of always feeling the the the ut But pain in bowels, res l of my escapade . in

t it t t u inﬂuence spi e of , my moral s a e has s ch great on me, at tt t tut ut t and bo om my cons i ion is so rob s , hat perhaps

et i I can g over t .

am ou tt to I very happy y have go en know Degas, and that while trying to help me youwere able to make a con n ion u u ect t t to ou. ! ha may be sef l y Ah, yes Degas has the I tt . too Z name of being harsh and bi er ( , , says But it is not so for those whom Degas holds worthy of tt t his a en ion and esteem . He has a ﬁne heart and he is

a no intelligent. I m t surprised that he ﬁnds youtalented

You and congenial . remember doubtless that I never said anything to youof your talent until the moment when I

elt rt it it not really f ce ain of ; was harshness, but honest nk am u t t fra ness, and I s re ha an appreciation at such a 106 THE LETT ERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN time gave youmore pleasure than the ordinary compli

r ments that eve yone receives.

t t ut to t a r r Degas, bo h as o cond c and as talen , is a e example of all that an artist should be ; though he has had

in — t Puvis as admirers all who are power Bonna , and

— f o Fro Antonin Proust he has never asked r anything. m

r r t an him one has never seen no hea d of a mean ac ion,

t i u . Ar t ! indelicacy, or any h ng gly t and digni y

t Rouart r not Eviden ly , who is a millionai e, did pay a

t the but if ul grea deal for large canvas, I co d only sell all

t t I u r of hem for tha price, co ld live and wo k here in per

et e s a inﬂuenc fe happiness ; b side , he has a good de l of e and

l ti u to t hi his col ec on is s pposed be choice, a fac w ch may

r u r x t ul b ing more b ye s, an e ample tha many d lards may

The u k . tu th follow b ying world is so s pid, li e e sheep of u Pan rge .

W t o t a t t o ell, however hings come u, t leas here seems t be t ou t f or ou some hope, and I hank y hear ily all that y have done for me

t - Once again my mos heart felt thanks . u Yo r always devoted, Paul Gauguin

ou too not o And y , , are happy ; what can y u expect ? For has it not been said that this is an inevitable law for all those who are superior in either heart or brain?

108 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

ear aniel let na ho e that ouare welland Now, my d D , p y

’ un iration f or e and sur e as an Gaug i s adm th gruff ly D g ,

con

in w i h a conte or r es is tempt h ch e held m ny of his mp a i ,

rikin as an nstan e f the un erstan i one reat st g, i c o d d ng of g

art st n t ou the t e ents of the two men i for a other, h gh emp ram

er so ss m a t ouh t e i u iff rent w e di i il r, h g hey liv d am d s ch d e

surroundings and worked along lines so divergent. For

a outwardl c ul een than the l wh t, y, o d have b wider guf

se arat n auuin the sti s olst of n p i g G g , my c ymb i La Visia apres ls Sermon and this painter of the Ballet girls and coryphées of the Parisian Opera House?

- re Degas was a Parisian to the ﬁn ger tips . In himthe

the u u ukn e was no longing for c rio s and n own plac s, for a

i the u the life simpler and freer, ly ng beyond bo nds of “ t u Western civilisa ion he knew. Like some q eer monk d ” rebours li e tt o old u e , he v d, a ended nly by an ho sek eper,

ut the t ut u his as cr s y as himself, in vas and d s y secl sion of studio up three ﬂights of rickety staircase in the Rue

To t ten u o w . t e Pigalle pain ho rs a day, dine with a f

at the N u ll t e t to the ra chosen cronies o ve e A h nes, hen on ope — - H or u ll u . d m sic ha , and home s ch was his life e care t ut t nothing f or gallan ries or adventure . A s erely he pain ed

t t r and repain ed his chosen models, balle girls p actising

u t the h with ang lar, s raining limbs in grey lig t of a sodden

t r t r the it th af e noon, balle gi ls in wh e glare of e calcium TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 109

e u h r t- ar r t u all th l re of t e glitte ing nigh life, h sh and g o esq e,

t r T e r his despite the gilt glamour that is he e . hes we e

“ 11 vomii aut la vie naturelle u to sa a moi f , he sed y, ” la vie factice.

uu u r His tongue was biting and ironical . As Ga g in nde

t t r the u s ood so well, he cared no hing for glo y, for appla se

th t u to b t of e crowd . In la er years he ref sed even exhi i his

- tu . t t t pic res Above all, personal no orie y and self adver ise

ta t u o not t t u ment were dis s ef l t him, and is there ha famo s “ to W t M riend ou ut u jibe his ler, y dear f , y cond c yo rself ” in life exactly as if youhad no talent at all . And above everything he seemed to hate critics and “ ” The the u ct the whole writing crew . idea of being s bje of an article made himrage . “ And did youcome here to count how many shirts I ” have in my wardrobe? he said once to a self-important

t to t rv . cri ic, who came him for an in e iew “ My art ? What do youwant to say about it? Do you think youcan explain the merits of a picture to those who

not t ? But o who u t do see hem among pe ple nders and , words

not . are necessary My opinion has always been the same .

t t tu to t Yo I hink li era re has only done harm pain ing . u

uff out the rt t t t ou u p a is wi h vani y, y inc lcate the taste f or n t r t t t ou o o o ie y, ha is all ; y do n t advance public taste by

ot. N t t t ur i one j o wi hs anding all yo scribbling, t never t t t was in a worse s a e han it is tod ay . Dites You

not us ou u do even help sell r pict res . A man buys a pic tu not u rt re, beca se he reads an a icle in a newspaper, but ec u riend n b a se he has a f , who, he thi ks, knows something 110 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

r has o himit wi rt i e u about pictues, t ld ll be wo h tw c as m ch — in ten years as it is to-day Dites This hatred of Degas for the critics must have seemed

i t uui r ll sweet ndeed o Ga g n, for he was gene a y at sword i t t t t u t m po n s wi h hem all, and spen m ch i e, as indeed have

t rt t t i ut t r many o her a is s, in concoc ing ns l ing re o ts and in ul t t tu t u t ta s. B collec ing and b a ing heir s pidi ie t for Degas,

t f or the at I essionists t Mane , as well as gre mm wi h whom t u he had worked, his admira ion was genero s and sincere,

t t r ff t r despi e all la e di erences of heo y or technique . And Degas in turn gave Gauguin perhaps the greatest ﬂattery t t t tha one ar ist can give ano her. For he bought his paint ings f or that small but choice collection with which b e

u u u in the t tt am sed his leis re ho rs, and one of la er le ers “ Gauguin writes to Monf reid of Degas and Rouart squab ” ic r bling over his y tues at the sales .

XXXVI I

et 12th b 1898. Pape e, Decem er, My dear Daniel

ou t t t t The few words y wro e were awai ed impa ien ly, I

dread q u th n ou t u ou. ass re y I was y neasy, i king y migh

t t t ou have died, ins ead of seeing ha y were having many difﬁculties t u t at the wi h yo r mo her, who is old and always

o Alt u t t to t p int of death . ho gh hese hings are be expec ed, t the t t u hey are none less sad, and I sympa hise wi h yo r sor row t T i l t ff wi h all my heart . h s wil make a grea di erence in u ou yo r position and in your life . Have y settled things

112 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

- but how many besides who are out of the running to d ay.

t i to-da a ﬁne 135 0 11 and one w ich Outhe whole, here s y h grows more directly out of the preceding period than did

I of he eat f t n M ar ein L Mercure read t d h o S ephe all m e ,

r i He is ot er who i a art r and was so r y to hear t . an h d ed m y to his art ; his life was at least as beautiful as his work. And I suppose that Fourquier and his crowd will rave o r hi o of a c t ve s t mb as they did over that M net. This so ie y is incorrigible ; one might say it does nothing but make mis ta es out e u se h l t are avi k ab p ople on p rpo w i e hey alive, h ng f or watchword : Genius and Hones ty

i My best w shes to all your friends .

or i C d ally always, Paul Gauguin

I t in the t t u 1899 t t uuin was nex mon h, Jan ary, , ha Ga g was at last able to give up his work for the Government and to eturn to hi r t Mo f r i r s home. For he w o e de n e d : “ I do not know how to thank youfor the money you

e t it in o le r tum o t ti s n ; comes time t t me e t my plan a on . I ’ was able to get in only about ﬁf teen days work this whole

t uff t oot . mon h, I s ered so wi h my f “ When shall I be better? “ You t ut the st tues t say no hing abo la pic r I sen . Did t ou it t at ou hey impress y badly, or is only h y are too busy ” with your own aff airs just now? TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 113

XXXVI II

uar 1 t 12th an 899 . Papee e, J y, My dear Daniel For a month I have succeeded in working only ﬁf teen days ; my foot has given me such pain . When shallI be cured? “ to let u the tur N You did well Deli s have pic e, ever ” Your t t ou more . emember ha y reproached me for having ’ t out t t the t t given a title to the picture . Don y hink ha i le, “ ” r the u t u ? Neve more, was ca se of his p rchase, perhaps

r t t be am r t t u the Howeve ha may , I ve y glad ha Deli s is owner . As soon as my foot gives me some peace I shall return i u u t t t t t to t u . to work . Un il ha ime is seless o ch a br sh I

t t t t t rru t . shall do no good, spiri less and wi h cons an in e p ions

the t amin r t Ou o her hand, when I my ordina y condi ion

in the r At the am u . and mood , I work ve y q ickly moment, t u h l t. W t e r t ying in bed , I work in ho gh hen ight momen t t u comes I concen ra e everything and exec tion is rapid .

ou r orwar And y , my dea Daniel, are looking f d to a year

u rri t Yo of b siness wo es, away from pain ing . uwill suff er.

Wr t the t not u at i e me as in pas , if of b siness, least of all that youare doing and thinking.

ri not e to art out to Pa s is as n cessary as y h seems think . ” in the tr rr Keep s eam, said Pissa o . Dangerous advice

- f or half men .

ﬁf t r r r For y yea s, ga dene s have been growing double

t one ﬁne t o dahlias ; hen, day, hey c me back to the single dahlia . 114 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

Best wishes to all our friends and to youwith allmy rt hea , PaulGauguin

The overwrought letter which f0 1lows chieﬂy concerns his dealings with R a crafty and niggardly dealer ’ rea in uun u oreseein the uture who, lis g Ga g i s geni s, and f g f

ue his tur not s ru to ta ta val of pic es, did c ple ke advan ge of ncial t Th i t his desperate ﬁna condi ion . e new exh bi ion had been no more successful in a monetary way than were its

re e ess a to bu u the e p d c ors, and R m naged y p entir

r r collection f o a palt y sum.

22n 1 . February d, 899 My dear Daniel

e m was t t t t t t Th ail wen y days la e his ime, and I awai ed i i t t t t the x i t t t mpa ien ly, for I hoped ha e h bi ion migh bring

al te t tr u ff t me re help . Ins ad of tha this disas o s a air wi h R ’ ’ r i ﬁ T u it no ur i I o d . Ce ta nly mn t sat s e ho gh s t yo fault, my dear Daniel ; and in your place perhaps I should have ’ n ct in Bu i r a e exa the s th . t t s e u do ly ame g lly bad l ck, and youknow what I think of R He is a crocodile of the worst sort. Yousay eight little canvases (really so little? they measure And now there is nothing f or sale from the whole ex

’ hibition i a , and R w ll h ve enough on hand to keep

116 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN were I to spread my colours on lavishly? Youcan see f or yourself how many metres of heavy canvas I have covered . And besides it is very dangerous to paint thickly if you ’ in hot u t it s are working fast. And a co n ry especially necessary to handle the paint carefully ; youmust put it

i i n t u mud . And on each day as t dries, or t will be o hing b t

u ir u at the i then I co ld only do a th d as m ch, and pr ces I

e T too t t it t ui g t hen, , I hink hat w h ime, and by s ng

r u ﬁr t ill u tt . O s wax, my canvases w be m ch be e my voyage

e i ur t my canvases wer even less h ghly colo ed, and I hink they are not the worse for it.

u the in er t i tt ut amt rr Exc se coh ence of h s le er, b I e ibly ’ T e et ou upset. his h avy blow about R l I can t g it t

t ct of my head, and I canno sleep . A new do or has come to the hospital and seems to have taken a liking to me for

r . He tr to ur but it some eason will y c e me, he says will t t f or the ake a long ime, malady is complicated and in

e The z vet rate. ec ema is complicated by erysipelas and

t ru tu the tt r wi h a p re of li le va icose veins . Why did I not die last year? I shall soon be ﬁf ty years ’ u . I m t t old exha s ed, ired all over ; my sight grows worse

u the r each day and, in conseq ence, ene gy necessary f or t t t tru n his cons an s ggle is lacki g. I t will be good if youcan see Degas and tell him of ’ t i tric s u h s k of R , for if he has bo ght anything from R or from Rouart he will see the great diff erence in the ri t i u p ce, and hat t wo ld be better f or me to do without

t r r any in e media ies .

ur t Cordially yo s wi h all my heart, Paul Gauguin TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 117

t 12th 1899 . Papee e, March, My dear Daniel

em t it Just as I wri ing, my vahine, who, desp e all my

r has tur to the rt mise y, re ned me, is in pains of childbi h,

no o the and I amwriting to youhastily so as t t miss mail, in the midst of all the uproar that the event is causing . The parents are fussing about uselessly ; I tell them in vain T that they must wait and leave it to nature . hey pay no — attention prayers come before all else .

ou too at ff . But Perhaps y , , are presiding a similar a air unfortunately a child has worse consequences for youthan ’ it s t the f or me . For me even a good hing, for perhaps child will make life dearer to me ; life which weighs so u heavily on me j st now .

ri 1899 . Ap l, My dear Daniel ’ n t I menjoyi g the seeds yousent me . Mos of them have

ut Th r th spro ed and will be soon in blossom . e i is, e dahlias and the gladioli are doing wonderfully ; on the other hand the anemones disappeared into the soil in a few days ; I ’ ul t ﬁnd co dn a trace of them .

t t t t the ﬂo r All his, oge her wi h many we ing Tahitian hru ll t n s bs, wi make a veri able Ede of my house . And when

I ama e to i t if I h e no i i bl pa n again, av mag nation, I shall THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

i t tu e the ﬂowers. t do some s di s of In brief, is a grea u it t h t pleas re for me, and I need , for his illness, w ich akes ll ’ tr t . W t all my s eng h, makes my life miserable e , I shan — speak of it again until I emcured it is a bore to us both . I have thought much on what yousaid as to the prepara t the the t ion of canvases, and o her day, while I was exam

t t u . ining one of my old pain ings, I hink I fo nd a way I believe it comes from the poor quality of the white lead

t se . I t to hey ll here, which comes from America seems

dr the t r t t . be prepa ed wi h allow Once y, whi e lead cracks, ’ it t t to the a the ctu t for doesn s ick c nvas, and so pi re is spoil

i can it the utu in transport. I th nk I remedy in f re by add

e bu it u r to to r ing linse d oil , t wo ld d ive me mad have wo k in an oily paste. u o t e t t . However, I shall g in o th hing horo ghly

r ri n You a My egards to my f e ds. no longer spe k of

Maillol . Does he still make masterpieces in tapestry?

Always cordially, Paul Gauguin

’

99 . May, My dear Daniel I t is no use wasting time talking of that idiot Z ’ What s this you say of . his if e ? She is asking for a ’ r ? t Z — s t divo ce I expect tha she is advised by bro her,

- t u so ﬁrst . who , wi ho t seeming , is a class pimp Ah, yes ;

You o t b ut it marriage . kn w some hing a o , my poor Daniel,

e not et out it t . t e as do I . Wdo g of sco free In his nobl

THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUI N

for I have to take the expense of materials into account. I t it n t have hardly any lef , desp e all my economy, and I ca no ask youf or more until I have some assurance as to my

ou ﬁnd means of life . If y can anyone who will promise

2400 rancs r ﬁve r t t me f a yea for yea s, and besides ha a

u t t t or ou i s pply of pain s, I will pain hickly, any way y l ke,

uh i t o t t tho g t takes hree times as long. N w I think ha

t r the u r perhaps af er a few yea s, when s rface has ha dened sufﬁcientl the r ou ﬁnd it to y and oil has disappea ed , y may

. o be richer For I remember some canvases of van G gh, t tta t among hem a Bri ny marine, done as hinly as possible,

z i t that he sold to Man i . And after a few years t was almos u r nrecognisable and the surface was ve y rich . But do not be angry if having asked your advice I do not l i T u u t. t ut The fo low r ly I feel s re of no hing j s now . i rt t t to n t am the t mpo an hing is k ow whe her I on righ track,

t am i t am t whe her I progress ng, or whe her I making artis ic

t . t the u t t r mis akes For af er all q es ions of ma e ial, of

u the t the 0 niq e, even of prepara ion of canvas, are ’

a t rt . T le s impo ance hey can always be remedied, can they?

But art r t difﬁcult o t is ve y errible and t fa hom . ‘ During the short period that I corrected work at the “ Mont amasse tu to the tu t : p S dio, I said s den s Do not ex

ect to r ct ou t u p me cor e y direc ly, even if yo r arm is a little — too long or too short and who knows about that anyway I shall correct only artistic faults youcan be precise if youcare about it ; with practice the craft will come al

t t t ou the mos of i self, in spi e of y , and all more easily if ” outhink of omthi te i ue y s e ng besides chn q . TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 121

r re- The e, my dear Daniel, is my opinion, and as I read

o t t ut ou t t what I have written I say t myself ha I m s vex y , ha

am u u ou I ab sing yo r kindness, for y are good, good as is u not nor ou the good bread . Yo r life is rosy easy, and y certainly have no need of this extra work that I emgiving youall the time and that I shall still need in the future .

or ive it t u ou k th F g me for , ho gh y now ere will be no — recompense for it but that inner one the knowledge of a good deed well done .

o riends to ou Greeting t f and y cordially, Paul Gauguin

XLIII

u 1899 . J ne, My dear Daniel hin u t Not g from Cha det this mail . No hing and again

t th t to et no hing, which means a I shall have g my bread

he o o at on credit from t Chinaman . N t a thing t e in the ’ Bu it u . t o ll ho se s useless to sadden y uwith a this . A letter from Maurice Denis asking me to exhibit in

1900 t the t t ll t and R r i wi h Symbolis s, Poin i is es ose C o x . I

u e t t u n t t ref sed, giving as my r ason ha I wo ld o dare exhibi with so many of the masters I have so shamelessly copied ; and then also there is the impossibility of my working in

he utu t t . t i r f re La er, if h s illness, which grows more c uel ’ the t ul t t all of ime, sho d give me a momen s respi e, I shall tr t t to z y, despi e my wre chedness, do a do en good canvases — which youcan show with some of my older things like 122 THE I E ITERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

i a h ex ib t on f h n w r the same t me s t e h i i o t e e g oup . I read an article in Le Mercure which is very ﬂattering u w u t n in nera . am l o sa D as to yo r exhibi io ge l I g ad y eg , and if he wants to be warned in the future of the arrival of ’ new ca v ses it s because he has otten w n of my n a , g i d ’ i c n te to . have a wa s R s spe ulatio . Wr him I l y i H k en r to t ood ause. e wou o t in be af aid , and w h g c ld nly h

ur e n w If c was it os him. an I doing for a p p , and I k o he

ts to ll it m e ea and e and wan help me, he wi do or sily mor But i ask him. gladly of his own vol tion than if I were to ,

an w t u it himas u oucan. y ay, keep in o ch w h m ch as y

Wl te ou xt t ! ust t so i l I wri y ne mon h J hink, me of my

u i ta es se i s n ea da es old acq a n nc , e ng me i k lower ch y,

ciall en had to rem on the ro s pe y wh I work as fo an ad (Oh,

l u n i these colonial oﬁ cia s ) have sn bbed me . The o ly th ng

u to tu a t u til I co ld do was rn my b ck on hem ha gh y, which

but ut i a in : t tt tt I did, j s m g e here was a li le a orney, who

te to tt tr it t wan d play me ro en icks, and who made a poin

c th o t never to prose ute e pe ple who s ole from me .

W to to t o t t i and ell , I decided make an end his s r of h ng

t in in th u So to keep people from bo her g me e f ture. I wrote the fellow a violent letter and amhaving it printed

I ut in he in the newspaper. t p s him t position of either T ﬁghting a duel with me or of prosecuting. his letter will

a the t the a t t ll ou appe r day af er mail le ves, so I canno e y

the ut of res l . If the rascal refuses to ﬁght he will probably drag me

t urt ha o a in o co , and I s ll have t p y for it by a few days

124 THE IE PI 'ERS 01" PAUL GAUGUIN

” “ hem and ama scoun rel the w rst sort abandon t , I d of o ” who has deserted his wif e and children. What do I care !

With best wishes to Annette.

PaulGauguin

My dear Daniel Thank you for the good instructions you give me re

e c garding the preparation of the canvases . Th re is no la k

ll one f oilsee and a tr t es a . We o d here I sh y, of h e d ys h n,

n t sa . a e a e to t be I can o y I h v no more c nvas s pain and,

es amtoo scour e f or t too u sid , I di ag d pain ing, occ pied

r t t t . T n t the use eve y momen wi h ma erial life he , wha is , if s t d to u at u ue ut my work are fa e pile p yo r ho s , which m s inc e ou to us onveni nce y , or be sold R for a cr t of

r b ead . t r t l u tu I of en wonde why anyone s i l b ys pic res, seeing that the number of painters is swelled daily by the crowd

k r a t who, ma ing no ese rches for hemselves, quickly assim ilate the researches of others and spice all according to

r t t . art mode n as e Commercially speaking, in some have to the t the u s ta wipe plas er before ho se become habi ble .

am rr to a t at ﬁ htin r s I so y he r h Maillol is g g dep e sion , f or t t ﬁne he is an ar is and a fellow, so far as I know him . If elected to the Champ de Mars would he do any better? TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 125

e - t e I doubt it ; for in these crowds th money bags, s ill mor

ut ouout. art too numerous than elsewhere, sh y His is dis tinguished to be noticed . a He t on but him Look t Q ge s , behind he has a t t tt family and a wife to pull the stri ngs . I hope ha Anne e

r l are . and the b at are we l, as my vahine and child

r u Always co dially yo rs, Paul Gauguin

My dear Daniel

r t the t r but do not I tried you process wi h cas o oil, I i ult . t know what the res s will be In any case, is very difﬁcult for me to paint in a muddy paste ; f or ten years

ou t t ago, as y know, I pain ed on absorben canvas and

achieved the desired colour eff ects to my satisfaction .

s the ten t . it im os Beside , expense was imes less Here is p

to ﬁnd ui at t he u sible m c lage, any ra e for t moment we m st

t t not t thr do wha we can, and wha we can is wor h ee shakes ’ of a dead ram s tail . Youdo not happen to know some anarchist who would

r to t Rouon the r t r the ca e dynami e j , Di ec o of Beaux Arts? ’ ' so t t t t Geﬁ ro f or If , don hesi a e, for his replacemen by y, x u o in e ample, wo ld perhaps impr ve my position . For

t or r f or t s ance, a big de for designs s ained glass, that I u n it u sho ld e joy doing and wo ld give me something to eat. Is your off spring progressing to your liking? Mine is

ro ib t in t g wing vis ly, and I h k hat he will grow into a real 126 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

u r n. to . bull late o In any case, he is easy bring p All he

ew r cut our t . needs is a f linen ags, from old clo hes Kind

r rien regards to Annette and to ou f ds.

Co diall u n y yo rs, Paul Gauguin

XLVII

b 1899 . Decem er, My dear Daniel

This time the mail comes in fourteen days late . Happily

tt ou ou the t two a le er from y , for y missed las mails and l t u tt I fe t worried . I can see in your letter tha yo r li le girl

u ou r rt nl n is ca sing y t ouble . Yes, ce ai y childre are a

t . Not r ast grea care mine, howeve , he is growing f and promises to be a strong and intelligent fellow. ’ I mto t t u blame also, for I ook advan age of yo r silence

I u at e t and did not write . t was beca se th same ime each ’ t u to uff t year, ho gh I don t know why, I seem s er so erribly T u t ect . t with my f hey are inc rable . And hen why wri e of only the same thing? That I suff er and that I amagain

t o — in deb . And I have good reason t feel worried yousay so yourself youcannot be of any great help to me in the utu t u t — t f re, and wi h Cha de sick wha will become of me !

am t to au t t t I wri ing Ch de his mon h, and , as he is more

the t t t ou am n u i in mids of hings han y , I i cl ding with t a

tt r r u t c copy of a le e f om Ma rice Denis, a ra her urious

tt t u to le er, which he wro e in reply, when I ref sed exhibit “ t ua . T t Ro rt wi h him ha Degas and scrap over my pictures,

128 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

It was at about this time that de Monf reid succeeded in making an arrangement with R f or the taking o ver ’ t uu the t of mos of Ga g in s work, for mon hly allowance of

three hundred and ﬁf ty francs .

u uri he ﬁrst Tho gh, d ng t period of his Polynesian life,

u or u u r t Gaug in had often wished f j st s ch an a rangemen ,

i isﬁed r it when it came he was d ssat . In eality was only

the direst poverty which made him consent to the scheme . The regular arrival of this money was a great relief after

th r t t r u e yea s of anxie y h o gh which he had passed and , though Gauguin seems to have cordially disliked the dealer and to have f elt that he was getting decidedly the worst of

the i the t e ur t r m barga n, compara ive s c i y he enjoyed f o

this time on was not to be discarded lightly .

Yet tt tr t u t his le ers be ay a con in al exaspera ion, and this

u u f or r n was nat ral eno gh, his fame was g owi g steadily and tt l i the art dealers were ge ing arge prices for h s pictures .

the t u t t ff in Besides, dea h of Cha de lef all his a airs a

t tu t t us rancs angle, which even ally cos him several ho and f ,

t t out to t and which was never s raigh ened his sa isfaction .

he two ollowin tt t the t T f g le ers, despi e ra her drab ﬁnan ff t t t ciala airs wi h which hey deal, are an in eresting index

o he - t t t t th t t many sided ar is ic ac ivi ies of e painter . Gau

u not conﬁne to g in did himself a single medium. Years

t in the t r before, he had experimen ed many of sis e crafts,

scul tu - r - in l p re, wood ca ving and wood engraving, and t t i t t ul ceramics, in eres n which had been vas ly s im ated by l the Western discovery of Orienta art. Perhaps from the commencement he had felt the lure of that old Renaissance

he the tu t w as no ideal, of t time when s den t too proud to

130 THE LETT ERS OF PAUL GAUGUI N

XLVIII

r 1900. Octobe , My dear Daniel In his last letter R wanted to know my price f or

r t to u tu the la ge canvas, and he also wan s b y back a pic re ' f or 200 francs that Mauﬁ ra once oﬂ ered him f or 150. And he wishes to get some of the canvases that youare ee i 2 t t t k p ng, for 00. This makes me think ha R wan s to bu u a r so ut y p as many as possible t a low p ice, he m s t v be wa ched . We must sell as many as we can o er his

a but at r i t he d, easonable pr ces, so tha we can make him

r pay dea within a year. ’ ou Chaudet s ff ut in r t As y see, a airs m s have been g ea

not ct to r in disorder and, as he did expe die, he p obably

to the tended some day to return what he owed me . As ’ — pictures and sculptures and a few van Gogh s all things ’ — which were left at Levy s they belong to me . Only one “ ” r T t Noa Noa to u t. picture f om ahi i, , belonged Cha de

t t e un tur Then there was one large landscape ha S g i re ned, ’ é uin t ut u t S s . We and a still life, bo gh from g mis ress m s also ﬁnd out what pictures Chaudet turned over to ’ I t s lot There should be some trace of it in his books . a

r ub ou but it rt it u t had of t o le for y , is wo h , for Cha de my t t entire studio . As his mo her has money, his bro her u t ought to be in easy circ ms ances, and he can pay a good At all t tu u tu ut price . even s my pic res and sc lp res m s be

i the ul tu t tt saved . Speak ng of sc p re, as here is very li le of ’ thi r t it o tt r or to o int s wo k, I don t wan t be sca e ed, g o the TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 131

f i d it possession of people who would not care or t. An would give me great pleasure if youwould accept (not as

t but the a presen , as a proof of my friendship) all wood

T The ﬁ ure t t carvings from ahiti . large ceramic g ha did — not ﬁnd a purchaser while those ugly pot-boilers of Dela — herche sell very high and go into museums I should like to have it here for the decoration of my garden and to put u t T t T t t ou pon my omb in ahi i . his means ha as soon as y can get the money from a sale to pay for the cost of pack i t u outo t to . T ing and freigh , I sho ld like y send me hen my little place here will be complete .

W to u ﬁve ell, misery aiding, I was forced save p or six

t u to the u . t ho sand francs, which I now enjoy f ll My heal h is better and everything is going well ; so it will have to be a serious event that can now interfere with my painting . What R sent me in the way of colours is almost u amto t t t so be seless, especially if I pain hickly ; ell him , cause the paints I asked for should be the same size as the

. t the t t t but it t Lefranc I ried canvas ha he sen , almos b u to ewilders me, for I have become so sed an absorbent

t t t rt u canvas . I had mas ered ha so , and m ch of my fresh u i u due to t. W u ness of colo r was ell, I s ppose I m st resign

r t. myself, and learn a new c af

am ur t tt t the i I h r ying his le er in o mail as t is leaving .

t to ou Bes wishes y , Paul Gauguin 132 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

XLIX

u r 1901 . Jan a y, My dear Daniel

he ta am uf r Your letter reaches me in t hospi l, where I s fe

r f z z the t am ing f om in luen a and from ec ema of fee , and also spending the three hundred francs R sends me

— For t t rut two when he sends them . ha b e, who is already

t i has the to the u t to mon hs beh nd, nerve evade s bjec and lie to youabout my address . ’ ’ u ou t in ut Truly it s bad l ck that y can be Paris now, j s

But the . at the business season . no one can do impossible Youask about prices f or the Beziers museum ? As I

ou ou t t tu . n the have told y , y have comple e la i de I k ow

ou a t it picture y spe k of and hink is good , done in one of my best moods .

o th t tu r it u tt to As t e ceramic s a e, pe haps wo ld be be er

Tw t u rancs not too sell it than to send it ou. o ho sand f is

i Mr t n u high . Bes des . M is, I hink, a co noisse r of

D l r i . T t t u e ahe che t ceramics ha a rocio s , whose h ngs are

wn ut art stre everywhere, and who has abo killed ceramic ,

- sells his Greco Japanese vases for just as big prices . An d

t to t the s ul tu the h t cer ainly, say no hing of c p re, C aple

la rch ceramics are better than the De he e .

r iv c i tt Fo g e me if I ut th s le er short. I hardly know ’ what is happening to me after ﬁve days diet to lower my fever. u Yo rs always, Paul Gauguin

134 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

t ut e to so see if oucan a . W the future i ho s eming do , y cle r i up this quest on .

Best wishes to Annette .

o ou t art And t y wi h all my he , Paul Gauguin

1901 . April, My dear Daniel ’ ’ I r ouI m t it inﬂuenza ich As mw iting y qui e sick w h , wh

ti f or the t two t h has been raging in Tahi las mon hs, and whic

I e us. can t has made many ravages among Oh, when g seriously to work! And there is another thing that is even worse ; the bubonic

e t n r e h tak r San plagu, of e he ald d y mis e f om Francisco, has

r o ti the a fo ced us t quaran ne all ships, and merch ndise has

ri unt it hi almost tripled in p ce on acco of , w ch makes living more expensive here than in Paris .

To And it is going to grow worse . avoid this I em

’ ummonin allthe t t t t s g energy ha I have lef and, in spi e of

f or re em i to r my love my place he , I go ng t y to sell off

r thin it ut too u eve y g I have w ho m ch loss . Then I shall

tt o the u se le n one of Marq esas Islands, where living is easy l a . I t a t but i and very che p wi l me n a loss of ime, t will be

r wise in the end . My cont act with R will provide enough f or my expenses and I shall ﬁnd entirely new sub

r jects the e f or my painting.

But until then rite me as a I i o w lways, and w ll let y u TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 135

ut th t know some mails in advance, abo every ing, and wha there is to do . r t ou with Béziers And in any case do eve y hing y can . , so t that I can always have some money in advance . Ano her

am t not t t to thing, as I behindhand wi h R do hesi a e let him have some of my old canvases if he grows im

t t t t not rv f or patient. Some of those, ha is, ha are in rese e the future and that you have not shown to a serious buyer. it all rt As always w h my hea , Paul Gauguin

W e u f or the u ell, I shall w ar mo rning Marq esas, and ” o will probably turn up in Paris one of these days . S

uu tt to Monf reid u Ga g in had wri en years before de , j st after his ﬁrst trip to Tahiti on the point of sailing f or

t uh he t tt home . And ho g t reasons given in his le er for his permanent change to these almost unknown islands might

to u r t rt t it seem have been of a p rely p ac ical so , ye is

rta t t u t the t ce in ha , aside from s ch considera ions, s ories of t ut t u heir wild bea y had for years in rig ed his imagination . From earliest times they had been whispered of as the

tr u erocit home of savage ibes of s rpassing f y and beauty . The sinister legends enveloping them were barely an ex

t et t t aggera ion and even y , despi e heir dwindling numbers the m1ser t t t t h and y ha has swep heir land, t e people bear

t t e a savage s amp, far deeper han th gentle Tahitians across

the sea. 136 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

un 1901 . J e, My dear Daniel v u t a As the mail is lea ing nexpec edly, I h ve only a few

r t o t u nt l minutes to w i e y u hese ni el igible words, and I have t many important things to tell you about . I leave nex

tt in th u but u difﬁcul month to se le e Marq esas, nder many it tt ? ties . What does ma er

' a For I amleaving in spite of them . I h ve sold my prop — erty f or 5000 francs but here is something I had not thought of before : The stupid law does not permit one to dispose of the communal property without the consent

Yo u . To o of the wife . ucan imagine my f ry be obliged t ’ borrow so will youplea se ask Z for my wife s address and write her a letter something like this

Madam,

u u t t z Yo r h sband, who con rac ed ec ema in his

t t to broken foo af er he reached Paris, is forced

tu to Fr the re rn ance on advice of his physician, t i u if he is to recover . Af er hav ng bo ght a piece

r u u t u i i of g o nd, and having b il a ho se on t, he s

‘ its wn t u its u i now o er, and ho gh val e is slight t

u u h to at t t th wo ld be eno g pay, leas in par , for e

rtu F expenses of the trip . Unfo nately the rench law requires your signed authorisation (a legal tu t t signa re) before his small proper y, which is

classiﬁed u r0 ert as comm nal p p y, can be sold . I do not fear for an instant that youwill make diﬂi

THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

world is so stupid that if one shows it canvases containing

i t Tabiti i e com rehen new and terr ble elemen s, w ll b come p tt tu sible and charming. My Bri any pic res are now rose water because of Tahiti; Tahiti willbecome eaude Cologne because of the Marquesas .

t t l bu the And the Degas clien ele, for ins ance, may easi y y

Marquesas to complete their collection . Perhaps I am

e . wrong. Wshall see In your letter last month youspoke of the exhibition at

r t n i ut the rt t t Bezie s. I hi k t m s be so of hing hey always

the i s and t it u give in Prov nce , I hink is more val able for

t t orei n unt s— ru Nor me han exhibi ions in f g co rie B ssels, or — ’ way where I amlike a Turk s head to the critics ; and then so many of the foreign painters simply use my work to t i u — make hemselves or ginal . They make Ga guins only better .

T t to ut u here is no hing be done abo Cha det . Two thou ’ t sand francs hrown away . I ve done all I can. Under such circumstances what can one say or do? N t o hing. How I have been deceived in my life ! Perhaps the city will buy something of mine at the

ez t t t if M. o B iers exhibi ion ; ha is gives me a b ost. It

ou u the utu to to w ld be s ch a relief for f re, sell people who know . And what a gamble it is ! Think of that picture we had t rt t t o hrown aside as wo hless, and ha y ugave away to

u riend the t t ll o yo r f , den is , who leaving Marsei es went t — at ez t t u o live B iers and ha was eno gh t attract a clientele . How can one calculate after that? Well ! The only way TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 139

o th o or t r t in i o is t do good work, and en s oner la e h gs w ll g ll we .

— r i Criticism passes good wo k rema ns .

r t i rtu t n Eve y hing s in that . Unfo na ely we can have o ly r t t t r it a p esen imen of good work, only ime can p ove and

v r t range e e y hing in place . u t Quite aside from yo r noble charac er, which always makes youdear to people who are worth anything ( not to t a t ur exhi the crowd) youare talen ed . I mhinking of yo

u t h In e endants e ri bitio wi h t e d p , wh n I was in Pa s ; and I think that you also should have found great support at uu ezi s no the e t a t f or the t . B er , if t for pr sen t leas f re I should be so glad if youwould tell me something about it u tt ul to t t at a ou in yo r le ers, for I sho d like know ha l st y

t the the ou have aken place in world that y deserve, and t t t u u t no ha hro gh yo r own meri s, and t by any of the low

tr u u use t he in ig es, so m ch in wi h t modern painters .

Wh ou t f or - en y have ime, in exchange the wood carvings n t u h which I i sis on yo r having, I wis youcould send me

tt u —a rt t some li le canvas of yo r own po rai for instance . I should love to have it to put in my little room in the

Marquesas . Just roll it up simply and send it to me by

t. i tt tt rv f pos I w ll make a pre y li le ca ed frame or it.

t to u Bes wishes all yo r crowd .

t r As always, wi h all my hea t, Paul Gauguin 140 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

1901 . July, My dear Daniel I received your letter of the 6th of May by the lucky

An lent tt r i r m chance of a sailing vessel . exce l le e wh ch p o had r t n ises well f or next month . I eve y hi g ready for my

tu ar u but unf ortlmatel tt s depar re to the M q esas, y no le er ’ from either youor R so naturally I mhard up until

e the n xt mail. Youare foolish to worry about the canvases that you ’ n r have sold over R s head . I did ot cont act with himf or all of them ; the maximum was twenty-ﬁve vases .

r t in —I tt r i Anothe h g had a le er f om Charles Morice, n which he says that he has great hopes of getting a group ! men to bu ff it to the of y my large canvas, and of o ering u T — u mo . orta t it uc o L xe b rg his is very imp n if s c eeds . S hi m so u . I have given me names, s ch as M M and

ibesco : ou t t B and y migh help the thing along. If hey succeed it would be very helpful for the sales and would

ttr t t . a 0 a ac a large clien ele Morice spe ks of . Redon

t t r ? as one of hose in e ested . Has he come into any money f r I r e ri o Redon was n f om b ing ch . Youmust also see R in the event of his claiming h u t at t e t u t . h he owns pic re, which wo ld be al ogether false

us t rt Yo r wi h all my hea , Paul Gauguin “ Where do we come f rom? What are we ? Where do ” we go ?

142 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN brus u l to u his q ely, but politely . Then he wil have make p mind to take allthe old pictures at which he has been tum ing up his nose ; and if he wants more he will have to pay u t i e f or 500 at t. Th a decen pr c them, francs, leas o gh

o nt t n keeping my word t him , I have no i en io of allowing myself to be exploited by a gentleman who left me in the

r s o rt ut to bu u tur f or bitte e t p ve y for years, j s y p my pic es

i t t too a m serable price (a premedi a ed trick, , as for a long time he has been getting all that he could ﬁnd from Bernard and the others)

it to r i the and And all this will make easier a se price, it willbe easier for youto sell those we have in reserve . Some time after yousell something I wish youwould keep out one or two hundred francs and have some of the

- ll You et t wood prints we framed . can g hem from R T t t t hen when hese examples are framed , ei her separa ely

two two t u t u u or by , show hem q ie ly in yo r ho se and leave

i zi so t ur r end in Bé ers . T ou me wi h yo f hey all belong to y , if t and anyone wan s them youhave the whole lot to sell . Only thirty proofs were pulled from each plate and they u were n mbered . It is because these prints go back to the t t t mos primi ive ime of engraving that they are interesting. Wood-engraving f or illustrations has become like photo u grav re, sickening. A drawing by Degas beside a copy of the drawing done by hatchers !

am u t t in t - I s re ha ime my wood engravings, which are

ff t the so di eren from all engraving being done now, will ta have a cer in value . Youmust have done a ﬁne portrait of Madame M ’ Couldn t you have it photographed? So M TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 143

h oual painter ; I see his name in the catalogue . Wy do y ' ways cﬂ ace yourself? It is high time that your art should ll Th t not r but us help youﬁnancia y. a is comme cialism, j H but M . e k . tice . I now Fabre is an admirer, a am r at t ou very platonic one . As for Redon, I sor y wha y

me He en ! But t r t tell . ( s ile ) he is s ill ela ively Is it not rather that there is no worse inﬂuence for c

t the t spiri s, than admira ion of imbecile people who

t i art? t t t t no h ng of Yes, hey have old him ha he is a u H ur t i . e colo is , and t has been eno gh , who was never to understand it ! And is not his imagination exhau restricted as it is to one single note? t t t ou t t t t I have always said, or a leas h gh , ha li erary t o t n t poetry in a pain er is s me hi g special, and is nei her

ut t the t t t . ill s ra ion nor ransla ion of wri ing , by form In painting one must search rather for suggestion than for u t u t . descrip ion, as is done in m sic Some imes people acc se me of being incomprehensible only because they look for

t to tu t t not t But an explica ive side my pic res ha is here . one could chatter for a long time about all this and never

to t in deﬁnite ma oi u the tt The come any h g ; f , so m ch be er .

t stu t t cri ics say pid hings and we can enjoy hem, if we have — the legitimate feeling of superiority the satisfaction of a

ut S . d y accomplished . o many fools wish to analyse our pleasures - o r at least they seem to feel that they should

to o be allowed enjoy them, to . I must tell you never to register your letters to the Marquesas for I should have to make a long trip on horse

k to et t t u bac g possession of hem, and here wo ld be many T delays . here is no danger if yousend money in the way 144 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUI N

i c m rcials er ue I adv sed. La So iété Co me (a G man ho s ) t not has stores in the Marquesas ; its centre is in Tahi i . Do

ar t t am un t f or u fe ha I r ning in o danger, I shall be m ch better 0 3 in many ways (except that my correspondence will be delayed) But now it will not matter as much as

r r u r t fo me ly, especially if youhave really nde s ood me t at if ou act t t t ut h is y will wi h comple e freedom, and wi ho o utin u u t c ns l g me . Yo r intelligence and yo r noble hear are a sure guarantee that my aff airs will be as well cared — — f or as if I were there myself Sapristi you have cer tainly been working hard for eighteen months and I would

r c i be ve y difﬁ ult if I compla ned . And when will the time come when we need speak of nothing but Art?

t sh to our riends to Bes of wi es f and Annette .

u it r Yo rs always w h all my hea t, PaulGauguin

It was in August or September of the year 1901 that t u u Gauguin reached the Marquesas . Mys erio s and obsc re

h - t l t t to t as t ese islands seem, mere pin poin s a mos los sigh

t the Paciﬁc it e in the vas reaches of , was here on th last

l t at he utt ll boundaries of civi isa ion , t ermost verge of a

t t t the t t t ew known hings, ha ar is spen his f remaining years . The history of the islands is lost in the mist of ancient T ut t un d legend . hey lie abo eigh h dre miles from Tahiti ,

to the t t ﬁrs well nor hwes , and were t discovered by a Spanish N 1595 Admiral, Mendana de eyra in , who gave them t nt u e heir prese name, Las Marq esas de M ndoza, in honour

146 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

t u two t r t u t towering sheer and precipi o s, or h ee ho sand fee set above the level of the ocean . Shallow golden sands, ut t at u t thick with palms and cocoan rees, girdle infreq en . r off intervals the base of the bleak ocks, and from far , a

- the tangle o f green black shade, rich inland valleys dip “ the towards the sea. These valleys, like a glimpse of real ” rt n to the u t Paradise come upon ea h, accordi g acco n s of

are rt the rare travellers of early days, now a dese ed wilder

ﬂo rishin r ut t ut ness, the u g g oves of breadfr i rees, of cocoan

m to e t un le utt im pal s, changed gnarl d and angled j g , erly

he t t t t penetrable. T na ives, lis less and spiri less, excep when

z the rut the f excited by drink, live la ily on f i land a fords,

ﬁ he t t the ru or sometimes sh in t adjacen wa ers, and since le

it o e the t it t has n of the wh e has c m , mor al y among hem grow t not e t a to terrible propor ions, for now perhaps mor han few hundred are left . How diff erent all this from the conditions found by “ ” l the ut the ascinatin T ee t d Melvi le, a hor of f g yp , who visi e

u r ﬁf t r T d the Marq esas ba ely y yea s ago . hen illness seeme nkn t u to be almost u own . In r th he almost bewails the

t t t it u i i o fac , fearing ha wo ld make t mp ssible to see a

u to rv the t r t to f neral and obse e na ive i es, as which he was t u Th vas ly curio s . e Marquesans have always been called “ the t uti ul the ut mos bea f of all So h Sea peoples . I n ” “ ut t bea y of form, says Melville, hey surpassed anything

o I had ever seen . N t a single instance of natural deformity b was visi le among them . They seemed free from those blemishes which sometimes mar the eff ect of an otherwise r B pe fect form . ut their physical excellence did not merely consist in an exemption from these evils ; nearly every indi TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 147

’ T e vidual could have served as a sculptor s model . h men n t o t t tu s r were in almost every i s ance of l f y s a re, ca cely ever ” less than six feet in height. ’ But even in Gauguin s time the change was apparent.

t a the u the t Consump ion, and all dise ses of l ngs, errible

t t too elephan iasis, leprosy, and o her maladies hideous to

i rt u the t al mention, mpo ed from E rope and Orien , had

r t ti . ready commenced thei devas a ons French colonial rule,

t r u t i e no o io sly bad as always , was rapidly des roy ng th t u And it t na ive life and c stoms . is only a realisa ion of ’ this that can make comprehensible Gauguin s fierce detes tation ri t official the n fi h of p es and alike, and oble g t he

t the uti to the t ﬁ ht waged agains inj s ces done na ives, a g n i t t uh no u t which i d rec ly, ho g less s rely, cos him his lif e .

Le u - Os u Dominiq e (Hiva ) Iles Marq ises,

November 1 , 901 . My dear Daniel

not t ou t t I did wri e y las mon h as I had no news, and

i it tt difﬁcul bes des, was pre y t as I was in the midst of build ’ tt n tt I ing and of ge i g se led . musing all the furniture from my old place, and have everything any modest artist could

a of dre m . A large studio with a little comer to sleep in ; everything handy and arranged on shelves raised about two t the u me res from gro nd, where one eats, does a little t rin carpen e g and cooks . A hammock for taking a siesta s t r o the sun hel e ed fr m , and refreshed by an ocean breeze 148 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN that comes sifting through some cocoanut trees about three

o it ut difﬁcult t n hundred metres away. N t w ho y did I ob ai half a hectare from the mission f or the price of seven hun bu t r n t i c . d a t dred f ran s I t was e r, he e was o h ng else and the mission owns everything here . ’ r t Except f or the annoyance of the p iests it s perfec . I

in the entr the vill et ul u it am c e of age, y no one co d g ess ,

o my house is so well surrounded by trees . Do n t worry

out o n . i a ou r ab pr visio s I have an Amer c n neighb r, a cha m in ellow has -sto ke t g f , who a very well c d s ore, and I can

et r i a re g eve yth ng I need from him. I mmore and mo

a a out i r h ppy b my decis on, and I assue youthat it willbe admirable f or my painting. — And models! A beauty I have commenced work al

u ha r a . em ti im ready, tho gh I ve no mo e c nvas I wai ng u patiently f or the s pplies that R has been promising,

ur h r t a Wit . for mo e han a year, c nvas and colo s, e

a t ou t not to t I mwri ing y ahead of ime, so as be aken ’ - i I unaware when the mail boat comes n . mwaiting for it t t u t t i impa ien ly, yo r silence las mon h mak ng me feel that

our a to t n r to B zi all hopes h ve come no hi g in egard é ers. But u uk ’ i bad l ck is bad l c , isn t t ’ t i t f or two t After his ma l we won have any mon hs, as

Yo the boat is going to be repaired . uwill see the face I ’ ’ hi t if -I m rt uu make t s ime sho of money as s al . I mnot

rr i au ll n wo y ng, bec se from now on I sha ot be a cent in t the t T t i deb , sale of my proper y in ahi i hav ng cleared up i am u i Z r t t. eve y h ng, and I pro d of always said I — was so improvident well ! I should like to have seen him in my place . After the terrible situation in which I have

150 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

’ li m in i t it s u bo s , both in literature and pa n ing, so seless u t to re t i . And t t pea t anyway, we are agreed on ha s bjec — and with posterity also f or healthy art will remain in

t r u r t the t r spi e of eve ything, and the l b ica ions of li era y

r ti i u c i cs w ll make no diff erence . Perhaps I pl me myself too much f or not having made any of the mistakes into

to which a laudatory press would have liked force me, as

it has so many others . Denis for example, Redon also , t u t d a perhaps . And I smile, ho gh ra her bore , when I re d

so many critics who have not understood me in the least.

r tr And here in my isolation I can grow stronge . Poe y

e to tse t ut f rt let se ms come of i lf, wi ho e fo , and I need only

i can myself dream a little while painting to suggest t. If I have only two years of health and of freedom from these ﬁnancialworries which have taken too great a hold upon

r u t t can r rt tu t my ne vo s emperamen , I each a ce ain ma ri y

in art. t t emr t b t my I feel ha I igh , u shall I have the strength to express it aﬂirmatively

all t ut if even s I have done my d y, and my work does

not at a t the r t t who live, le s memo y of an ar is will remain, freed painting from many of the academic shackles and from the fetters of symbolism (only another form of senti mentalism) Youwill receive my letter wishing youa Happy New

Year. “ Noa Noa e u li t ut has be n p b shed wi ho my knowledge .

oucan et s to If y g hold of a copy end one me . urs it Yo as always, w h all my heart, Paul Gauguin

152 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUI N

us rs n the l t : pio pe o , most dreadfu indictmen Each day

tr t l u ﬁ ure he pros a es himse f before a grotesq e clay g , and ” t he r the sun hey say wo ships . who visited the Marquesas a few months

u his u t t but eath, fo nd ho se s ill s anding, “ t the the h co ut emp y of all save panels, as s ell of a co an

- Th too t a at r . that h s been e en by land c abs e kiosk, , wi h i t tu u t u but d not it ts s a e was n o ched, he ared remove , so fragile and cracked had it become from the blasting heat

the tr u it t u of opical s nshine . And so he left , his q eer

tt t the a u uu li le hea hen god, s vage geni s perhaps, of Ga g in , i ut outlasting only by a little the death of ts creator . Abo

Th t be it all is crumbling. e deser ed Maori homes sink

t the e n u e nea h cr epi g j ngle, whose nfolding green hides

the r-b l the softly all human traces . And in nea y val eys

ar t t t t t Maoris e dying. Wi h a swif ness hat has hrown error u o the u t the c p n even callo s whi e lovely ra e has gone down, is vanishing utterly beneath the pressure of the alien rule . ’ And u the t u high above, nder ropic s nheeding skies, in an

the rimsl r the unnamed grave on g ope of Calva y, lies man

t to the t t who loved and defended hem las , and who, hrough

u t t t t t . his geni s, has inves ed hem wi h a glory ha is immortal

1902 . March, My dear Daniel

N t ou t but to u it o hing from y by his mail ; make p for , a nice letter fromM which conﬁrms what youtold TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 153

e - v t me as to his buying th wood car ing, wi h which he seems very much pleased . — He spoke of the pictures of mine that he has claiming three pictures ; has he then bought one from R

- k L nd ne . t n And a wood carving, es 0 i s I can only hi of one “ ” - r e of the old time wood panels called Soyez Mysté ieus s . ’ W u it t at Chaudet s here can he have fo nd , excep before his death (he had it in storage and never spoke to me about it ) ’ u You u i u t I m . I have beg n ser o s work, ho gh always ill can th e c tu have no idea of e p a e I have here in my soli de,

u u r I t t t . t t u al oge her alone, and s rro nded by ees is so res f l

d read q in it the T and I was y need of , far from all ahitian

oﬁ cials.

Each day I ammore happy about my decision ; and be

not r sides, living is so expensive he e . I pay sixty centimes

r r t o for an ordina y chicken, and f om ime t time I get a pig

hi r u tw t ra c weig ng a o nd en y kilos for six or seven f n s. Wine the nl t t is o y hing tha is really expensive, that and a few t m t t o her i por ed commodi ies . And while we are on the ’ ub t u t t the s jec of wine, co ldn Faye , who is in business, out r ce . ood send a good ba rel of wine on a year I say g , c u in h t be a se any w e w ich is expor ed very far, especially to

u t u vin ad -hoc a warm co n ry, sho ld be a . I t seems to me t t th ha e southern wines turn sour easily and change to vinegar. Of u t co rse his is always in exchange for a painting. I t expec to send R a dozen canvases by the next mail

t . Th t i , t t boa a w ll I hink, make me even wi h him, or per tt a H haps even a li le ahe d . e says that he has not received 154 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

t at ot r if it r . the August shipmen . Wh a b he has gone w ong

I hope that youare keeping well . us Cordially yo r ,

1902 . April, My dear Daniel t i ou Only two hurried words . I have had no h ng from y

s rtu . f or four mails . I fear some mi fo ne ur t Always yo devo ed , Paul Gauguin

LVI II 2 190 . May, My dear Daniel

— e n the t Your letter has come th o ly one by way, no hing

uﬂic r u s ed . t t from R but no matte . Yo rs Wi h wha u t joy I recognised yo r handwri ing, and how greedily I

it i t at tu u . But read All h happened na rally, of co rse I ’ t o t I t s lived in deadly anxie y for tw mon hs . because I u u T am the . t t no longer Ga g in of old hese las errible years,

t not and my heal h which does improve, have made me

r n t t t ext emely impressio able . And in his s a e I seem to be without energy (and there is no one to comfort or console me) . Only complete isolation .

So ou — ou n tt — y are all well y , A ne e, and the child and youwill still have some ﬁne days for painting some solid t u t and conscien io s hings . Having seen the immense ad

TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREI D 155

ﬁrs t in T t can vances youmade during my t s ay ahi i, I have no doub ts of the progress youmust have made since . ’ to t t And it s allon the right track . That is say, only ha ’ to t n t t t r which is really one s own . And hi k ha he e are schools to teach everyone to follow the same path as his eighbour !

Youspeak of my aff airs : whatever youdo is well done .

M F He t t r r t t I know . is s ingy, and he e is mo e vani y han t ui ti emotion in his pictorial taste . M is en h s as c ’ u it s the u éz t . B t abo t C anne, and he is righ always same t now t a his tu v t t it hing, h t pic res are expensi e, now ha is

t t to u t éz n t t éz good as e nders and C an e, now ha C anne is a millionaire !

I seem to remember vaguely the little bas-relief that I M has . t must be a bit of sculpture that I gave to he t t . t r Com esse de Mimal Oh, hese p esents ! Be wary of t r hem, my dea fellow, for they are always sold

t t t s to t t I sen wen y canva es R las mon h . I hope they will have better luck than the other lot that went ’ t ut in as ray, and for which I ve p a claim . What yousay as to the collaboration of Morice in Nos ” Noa not T does displease me . his collaboration has two I — aims . t is like most collaborations that is with two ut n t t . t a hors worki g oge her I wan ed, when I wrote of the

to t t t r t t our savages, con ras heir cha ac er wi h own . And I thought it would be interesting to writeh - my part being that of the simple barbarian while beside it there would

the t ultur u be s yle of a c ed h man being, as is that of Morice . i So t was in this way that I thought of and directed the

b t . t too no colla ora ion And hen, , t being a professional 156 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

t t see i na the u e writer, I wan ed o wh ch of was more val abl

r the c t u . the naive and brutal savage, o de aden E ropean

Morice even wanted to print the book out of season . And there is nothing about it which would be dishonourable

Wi t u t tt r u h le wai ing for yo r nex le er, I emb ace yo r whole i i u t t fam ly, ncl ding the pretty little red head ha shines in

ur a Yo s lways, Paul Gauguin

uu 2 th 1902 . A g st 5 , My dear Daniel

u - t As the Marq esas mail boat took a dive in o the sea , they have thought it very witty to leave us here for eighty ﬁv t ut t ut t ut u e days, wi ho mail, wi ho news, and wi ho ﬂo r or

But c r rou r . t s tt ice an obliging s hoone b gh u a few le ers,

ou o one from y , one from M and tw from R

The tt ts s u tu t la er wan some of my c lp re for himself . I old him o o F t g to youabout it. rom the tone of his letter (I know the fellow) I can guess that my work is selling well t t and ha he has more and more need of it . I must admit w that he is clever and is well kno n by lovers of good art. I strongly advised himto take the sandstone statue that you — e—o r it t two th u hav is wi h M for o sand francs . But I should rather take only 1500 francs for it and see it ’ o t u l t t at g in o a serio s co lec ion, like h of M s, f or in stance .

158 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

i re t ur ﬁne ou recline, it w ll s as well as yo self, and one day y

will be able to raise it easily . o in u t And in the meantime, g on yo r peaceable enjoymen of life : our animal nature is not nearly so despicable as The u people would like us to believe . mischievo s u t t m Antwus Greeks, who nders ood all hings, i agined , whose

to t u the rt t t strength came back him when he o ched ea h, ha

our i ture . is, an mal na ur t a t Yo s wi h all my he r , Paul Gauguin

h m How stupid of me! I thoug t that I had no more roo ,

and here is another page . M says that for my exhibition next year you

u et o t t l t t t t sho ld g ut a pamphle , e ling of ha inciden wi h

e ouart o x n t th R b ys, who asked Degas for an e pla a ion of

- u re my painting at the Durand R el exhibition . Degas ’ : the h au counted La Fontaine s fable dog and t e wolf . G Th u uin e . e ut t g is th wolf, he said q o a ion wo ld be nice and th u would serve as a good theme . And e am sing thing about

it the t t t the e t rt to ollow h is fac ha sh ep s a ed f t e wolf,

t u the at t r ho gh f dogs wen on barking, neve getting free

l r from their col a s. What do youthink of it? And I hope to be able to do a couple of good canvases h t for t e exhibi ion .

Among the last lot of canvases that I sent R there u u ﬁf t t t was one meas ring aro nd y cen ime res, that I think is not t t a u bad, and ha is very c ref lly done . The poem is not ar u — t i e ul ! ’ cle eno gh Fon a n s wo d say Ma foi, I really don t TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREI D 159

- t know but that I prefer the old time criticisms of Alber

at t ou ou t but Wolff . Then leas y knew where y s ood, now t t t with all these great and precocious poe s (all alen ed, of course) taking on a professional air with which to expound T : t t t be but their stupidities . hey no longer say ha migh , — with aplomb that should be . — ’ W t ta one it s o hen hey lk of me, says from van G gh ; ’ ’ — z B t t it s his another it s from Cé anne . says ha ; ’ — i r another it s Anquetin or Sérus e . “ ” I have more fathers than youhave !

r t t t ul h to to Tell M . Faye ha I sho d ave liked reply his b t the tr t nor ﬂattering letter, ut now I have nei her s eng h

H ut u . t the time . e m s exc se me Perhaps some ime we may meet.

’ uu retumto me rit to Ga g in s Fra , of which he w es here

Monf r i in u Bu e d u . t de , co ld only have ended disill sion

tat u t not the temp ion was very h man , and his mo ives are

Th t u u uff r u to u t . e hard nders and con in o s s e ing he end red,

t he utt and which was s eadily growing worse, t er loneliness

the of his life, lack of friendship and of all intellectual

t uu f or t s im l s, which he longed despi e all his love of soli — tude with what avidity did he devour his European mail ! — must often have ﬁlled him with longing for the close

r t the familia i y of life he had known, for the warmth of a ’ r the u t t f iend s hand, for so nd of his na ive ongue . Yet it t u t riend Monf reid u was his r es f , de , who diss aded him, u r t t nde s anding, wi h a coldness of vision almost resembling ru t the tu the t t t h c el y, magni de of ragedy ha mig t result.

the t ut the r t the In in rod c ion of F ench edi ion of Letters, 160 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

’ i en a art of de Monf reid s written by Victor Segalen, is g v p ’ re e it it a f ew nes Se alen s letter in reply, and I p fac w h li of g text. “ But at the time when he was on the verge of self ” “ ra ote e a n of s - e ert of a in the bet yal, wr S g le , elf d s ion, le v g land of the Maori to live elsewhere (f or it was there that

o nd in rr t he was to die) Gauguin f u his co esponden , Daniel

r i a a u to de Monf e d, the impl c ble g ide, who led him back

— o hi t i o r 0 the true path who closed t m h s medi c e h pe, of

ur e ca e ret . s p , of n “ I t is all too easy to accept as friendship only the mutual

erin er i e o it nl t exchan rend g of s v c , t see in o y a me hod of g

r in in ea t o the n . g id s, held by bo h f m begi n g

But riendshi t r ut i r f p holds ano he d y, less famil a , less

to cr ce r diﬁ cult—t t i the r easy f es , mo e ha of hold ng f iend

tt at the t to th of no ma er wh cos , e high peak his destiny, e ul t t ti ven sho d ha des ny be death . Georges Daniel de Mon

n i tt - freid did ot fa l . I n a le er as clear sighted as it was

ti Monf reid i r t t uu prophe c, expla ned, and p oved, ha Ga g in ul not ut not tu . T sho d , m s re rn home his page, the most t a loyal of hem all, holds an implac ble decision . ‘ ’ ‘ It to a r t is be fe red, w o e Daniel, that your return g and slowly conceived ideas

t u urroun e o o wi h which p blic opinion has s d d y u. N w you are t t r t t ha legenda y ar is , who, from out of the depths of

r Polynesia, sends fo th his disconcerting and inimitable —th de i i work e ﬁn t ve work of a man who has Hisappeared h t e r . u ou from wo ld Yo r enemies (and y have many, t u the d as have all who ro ble me iocre) are now silent, do not to t ou not t in dare comba y , do even h k ogit :f or youare

162 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

ﬁ ish So youare going to do a portrait of M Try to n T r h0 e t at ur it f or the Beziers exhibition. he e I p h yo

e reputation willbe establish d . I t a th n And your wif e is dying. m kes me i k of mine who

r r is not dying. I neve have any news f om her, and my ! tt ittle the children are forgetting me . Well Li le by l u it mat wound is healing here in my solit de . And hardly

r t ul s r a ters. Afte all, hey co d ca cely be very fond of

father who should be in jail . Besides the four who bear my name there are other women and little children who have the right to it ; and if I “ u r t r a t : Ye amfamo s afte my dea h, pe h ps hey will say s,

u ha atriarc Wt Gaug in d a large family, he was a p ha a bitter joke !

r tt et : He t a d O , be er y was a pi iless man who ab ndone

etc. his children, What does it matter? Let us leave the dirty bourgeoisie

—e if th our —in t r rt and ven ey are children hei di y place, i ﬁn sh the work we have begun.

W t tt r a ou ou hen his le er e ches y , probably y will have already read the article against the critics that I sent — that is if Le Mercure consents to publish it I think it

t a b to ou f o canno h ve een displeasing y , r I tried to prove that painters are never in need either of support or of trut r tt An d ins c ion f om men of le ers . I also tried to hit at t at a hose people, who ne rly every epoch wrap them

u tr to a str selves p in dogma , and y le d a ay, not only the

t r but the t ur u pain e s also ama e p blic. When will man u t the the Libert nders and meaning of word y. Y ukno a o w what I h ve wanted to establish f or so long TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREID 163

h ht to r t i m own a t a time . T e rig dare eve y h ng, y bili y (and the pecuniary diﬂiculties that were too great for such t r t but a task) have not resulted in any hing ve y grea , in Th u spite of all that the machine 18 started . e p blic owes ' t m t but the me no hing, for y work is only rela ively good ,

t the roﬁtin t en pain ers of day, who are now p g by his

ranchisement t . f , do owe me some hing It is true that many of them think that they have aecom li h h s ed t n t . W t p every i g by hemselves ell , I ask no hing of them ; the recompense of my own conscience is enough .

t u to me Con in e keep well , and believe always,

u art Yo rs with all my he , Paul Gauguin

u 19 Febr ary, 03 . My dear Daniel I have just received two letters from you that were

t o c u t u grea ly delayed n a co n of a cyclone, s ch as was never

. It the N t seen here before came from or h , and we think it to rt u u be some so of s bmarine pheaval . Just at the height of the diving season all the lower islands were swept

t r t r by a er ible s o m, and almost the whole population

For t t - perished . fo y eight hours we were deafened by t u t the h nder and rain, and hen one evening cyclone grew t r . Th uh am t t er ible o g I well pro ec ed by trees, every minute I expected my house to be swept away or torn to pieces ’ the in . At ten u r by w d o clock I heard a very pec lia sound, 164 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

i I the i had deafening and cont nuous. t was river wh ch

burst its banks and which was seeking a new outlet. I

o r at it w s to stepped out of my room t t y to see wh a , and

- It my vast surprise I found myself waist deep in water. was impossible to make out anything and to think of escape

was useless. So I went back to my room and spent the night feat ing that the water would come towards my poor

house . Luckily I had had it built two metres higher than

was so ute nece s r tw str ab l ly s a y, and ice as ong. In the morning I could see the terrible condition of tua A na . The bridges and roads were gone ; uprooted trees everywhere (these tropical trees have very shallow roots ) and rune i d houses, etc. ’ W all t t en il et out it ell, s well ha ds well, and I w l g of

with only about a hundred francs expenditures for repairs . ’ 1 don t entirely agree with you about my return to

Fr ul n t r u t u ance, as I sho d o ly pass h o gh Paris and hen wo ld

to o r r go on Spain t wo k the e several years . Except for

t e i my f iend no one need know anyth ng about it. ’ it t t t am but thi t u u No, isn ha I homesick, s con in o s

uff z ro s ering from ec ema keeps me f m working sanely . I

r u r have ha dly touched a br sh f o three months . And be

t n u t u sa sides, my eyesigh is givi g me serio s ro ble, and I y “ to myself : What should I do if R threw me over

ﬁ htin st own ll a man like me, always g g, even again my wi ,

art urr u u on account of my , and s o nded by people who wo ld B be only too glad to stamp me underfoot . ut in France ’ r ﬁ T one can hide one s mise y and nd pity . o be safe here I should always have from four to ﬁve thousand francs in

r rv so t i s o i c r ur ese e, tha n ca e f acc dent I ould et n.

166 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

The circumstances surrounding the last days and ﬁnally w u the the death of Gauguin, hich occ rred on morning of 19 3 t u t ur the 8th of May, 0 , ho gh s ill obsc e, have been par tially brought to light by some recent investigations and ’ by an account sent in answer to de Monf reid s inquiries by

at tu M. V . the Protestant missionary A ana , erdier The exact details of that bitter quarrel with the police u ’ and with the governor are still confused . Ga guin s sym pathy and pity f or the oppressed native population resulted

the ofﬁcials t in his vehement hatred of colonial , and hey,

r the r t his in tun, as well as p ies s, were scandalised by

ri u the t conduct and by his dic le of Ca holic religion , which t a u he made light of before the na ives t every t rn . And he went so far as to model an obscene image of the vicar

h t it—Le e which e exhibi ed in his garden, calling P re

Paillard . It was an accusation he launched against a French police man f or extorting graft payments from the natives when

u t n the u t fo nd dis illing alcoholic dri ks in mo n ains, a thing

orbidden the t ﬁnall u f by French governmen , which y bro ght

the r t the u down w a h of governor pon his head . In the prosecution which followed Gauguin was fcund guilty and sentenced to three months in prison and to a ﬁne of 1000

r c f an s. Th ough investigations have proved that the accusation

l ounded t u it t was we l f , and ho gh now seems cer ain that his

v t u not ha e t in the r urt e con ic ion co ld v s ood highe co s, s

eciall t the rv u rwr u t p y in hose of France, in ne o s and ove o gh

t t u uin t the s a e in which Ga g hen was, conviction came as an

. He elt it to be rui i appalling blow f his n, and that, n his TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREI D 167

ﬁnancial tu t t t . cramped si a ion, his posi ion was despera e Two letters written at about this time to Charles Morice

E t the show, ven more clearly han last despairing note to

Monf reid tt tr de , how bi er was his dis ess of mind . Yet

t the ti t st t even here, as so of en even in me of grea e s ress, he w oil t u aﬂlictions t anders , forge f l of all personal , in o a

u t r disc ssion of abs ract a t .

tu 1903 A ana , April , . My dear Morice I include the copy of a request I have made to the In

h he t t e . t u not spec or of Colonies Here in Marq esas, only have I had to endure the cruel suff ering caused by my ’ but I m t ﬁ ht t illness, besides, waging a errible g agains

ou the administration and the police. I beg y to use all your talent in getting a lot of publicity for this in the k But ou ut act u . newspapers . y m s q ic ly — Monstrous things are happening in the Marquesas and ’ I mon the verge of expulsion because I would not submit to am u t the t a policeman, and I acc sed of s irring na ives to revolt because I tell them of their rights . — “ A gendarme says to a native Bougre de Coullion ;

the t not u ta and na ive, who does nders nd French, says “ ” ull n Co io toi.

to the Coullion The native asks me explain meaning of . — so t not the t the t I do , and hey say I have righ and na ive

in is put jail .

I ﬁn u but ou ut u u t is a e ca se, y m s be q ick, q ick THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

LXIII

1 903 . April, My dear Morice

oresaw the t the t ou As I f in ar icle on police which I sen y , h t the t I ave been rapped by police, and despi e everything u u t I I have been fo nd g il y . t is my ruin and perhaps it ’ the t will be same hing when I appeal . In any case it s

to t necessary foresee every hing and to be careful . If I lose the appeal I shall go on to Paris to sue for a writ of

. t t t Delzant t inﬂuence i error I hink ha migh have , and t is necessary for you to see who could protect me as soon

he ut in s t to o . as possible, in Co r of Appeal, ca e I have g Yousee how right I was to tell youin my last letter to

act quickly and energetically . If we are victorious the struggle will have been ﬁne and I shall have done a great ut thing for the Marquesas . Many iniq i ies will be done ’ ff away with and it s worth while to su er in such a cause . I h u am wn but not u . t e do , vanq ished Is Indian vanq ished ? ! who smiles at his torture Decidedly the savage is nobler

You st t t t ou t we . , han were mi aken ha ime when y said f it t u . that I was wrong to call myself a savage . For is r e

s it to so . a savage . And civili ed people feel be All that is surprising and bewildering in my work is that sav ” T t t agery that comes up in spite of myself . ha is wha

‘ The the makes my work inimitable . work of a man is

t two t explanation of the man . And here are sor s of

h ut t t the t tu . beauty ; one is t e res l of ins inc , o her of s dy

t he two t the ut modiﬁca A combina ion of t , wi h res l ing

t s t it t ions, bring wi h a very complica ed richness?)which

170 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUI N

LXI V

ri 1903 . Ap l , My dear Daniel

’ I msending youthree pictures that youwill probably

t t tt . W ou a t receive af er his le er ill y ple se ell M. M ’ t t it s u t ha a q es ion of saving me . If the pictures d o not

let t t ou et h mto please him , him ake o hers from y , or g i

1500 t u t The lend me francs wi h any g aran ee he likes. reason is this :

amthe i I victim of a fr ghtful trap . After scandalous happenings in the Marquesas I wrote

to the t t i to t t . Adminis ra or, ask ng him make an inves iga ion

not t u t the all I had ho ght tha police were in connivance , that the Administrator would be on the side of the Cover

c Th t to et . e t ut nor, fact is hat a lie enan ordered me be

ut t u at the the prosec ed, and a bandi of a j dge, order of

ut tt us t prosec ing a orney, whom I had ab ed, has sen enced ’ me (code of July 81 ) to three months of prison and to a

u rancs u t ar ﬁne of one tho sand f , all on acco n of one p

i r tt t cula le er .

Th the o T t . e t I shall have to go t ahi i and appeal rip,

the ex enses o a law er! stay there, and above all p f y How much will all this cost me ? I t will be my ruin and the

complete destruction of my health .

t to I t will be said that all my life I have been fa ed fall, only to pull myself up and to fall again each day

some of my old strength forsakes me .

172 THE LE'I'I 'ERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

I will gladly give yousome details as to the last part ” h h M u u u t t e t e . of life and of end of Pa l Ga g in, he wro e, “ all the more willingly as I cared for him until the morning

t t the 8th 1903 of his dea h, which ook place on of May, ,

not riend towards eleven in the morning . If I was his f

but ht u u trut sav for I knew him slig ly, Ga g in being in h a

- I at t h u u age was leas his neig bo r, and in conseq ence was

ut He to see q i e familiar with his life . came me several t t t t f or t imes and he sen for me hree imes, I was some hing t of a doc or. “ u ui ill When I knew Ga g n he was and almost helpless .

He t u o t rarely lef his ho se, and when one did chance t mee him in the valley of Atuana he left one with a painf ul im pression ; his legs were covered with bandages and he wore the r t ve y original dress of a comple e Maori , a colored

ut the t t T hit pareo abo hips, his orso covered wi h a a ian ’ t t tu t n shir , his fee nearly always bare, a s den s cap of gree

t a t . clo h on his he d , wi h a silver ball hanging on one side

He r t t the was a ve y kindly man , gen le and simple wi h

ur u u s . t t h Marq e ans And hey re ned his kindness . Wen yo r friend died I heard many expressions of regret from them ‘ e t such as this : Gauguin is dead . Ware los ! Ua mate

un e a " T u to the rv Gau i ua ete nat . g , p hey all ded se ices Gauguin had often rendered them in delivering them from

he ut the t u ut t cl ches of police, who were of en hard and nj s towards the natives . “ Gauguin always defended them with great chivalry and

e t t m to g nerosi y, and here are any proofs of his kindness

He tt o t the u e wards them . had li le t do wi h any of E rop ans

tu t i t t t ew t of A ana . I h nk ha , wi h a f rare excep ions, he TO GEORGES DANIEL DE MONFREI D 173

t the detes ed them cordially . Above all he had a horror of

ﬁcial r police and of the of s. And he had some very sha p

clashes with them . “ One time (two or three months before his death) he was condemned to ﬁf teen days in jail and to a ﬁne of 500 uu franos for having insulted a policeman . Ga g in was

ac itted ~ on sure of being qu appeal, and was making ready u u t to go to Tahiti when death overtook him . Ga g in fel

o the t— himself t be in righ and, anyway, he was above all that . “ He ut the u t t tu had a real c l for co n ry here, for his na re, u ul t u u so wild and bea tif in i self, where his so l fo nd

i tu H e to t in ts na ral frame . was able discover almos

stantl the t t t the sun y poe ry of hese regions, bles by , and

You u parts of which are still inviolate . m st have seen

he that in the pictures he sent youfrom here . T Maori

ul not t u t u uu elt t t so was mys erio s for him, ho gh Ga g in f ha

our islands were daily losing a part of their originality . ‘ ’ Th tu t t e Gods are dead and A ana dies of heir dea h, t he wro e somewhere . “ At the 1903 the ollow beginning of April , , I received f

au ing note from M. G gu ‘Dear Monsieur Vernier ‘ Would it be troubling you too much to ask you to

o t to come t see me . My eyesigh seems be going and I can

no a . t walk . I mvery ill 66 ‘P ’ , G.

’ h He uff I went to t e artist s house at once . was s ering t r t er ibly wi h his legs, which were red and swollen, covered

t z m wi h ec e a . I recommended the proper medicine, and 174 THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN

ff o him He t a o ered t dress them for . hanked me very ple s

antl u i e t . y and said he wo ld do t for himself . W alked

tt art Forge ing his pain, he spoke of his in an admirable

He t t u r t u . way, and said ha he was a mis nde s ood geni s alluded to his quarrel with the police and spoke of some

riends t u to t outhe trut not of his f , ho gh ell y h I do remem

t He ber his having men ioned your name . loaned me some ‘ ’ ’ s t Aurier L A res M d Un book of Dolen and of , and p idi u ’ e him. Fa ne, which Mallarm himself had given And he

the t rt t the tt t t gave me ske ch of a po rai of la er, wi h hese ‘ — r few words To Monsieur Vernier a piece of a t. P ’ . G. “ I left him and did not see him again for ten days . ‘ The T u u to : You old ioka , a friend of Ga g in , said me ’

t not t the it . know, hings are well wi h wh e, he is very sick “ tu o u ri nd un r I re rned t yo r; f e and fo d him ve y low, in

u t to bed and groaning . B t again he forgo his pain speak

t . of art. I admired this cul “ Outhe 8th of May in the morning I was called again u n t T . u t by his same ioka Ga g in, s ill in bed , complai ed of

He t it sharp pain in his body . asked me whe her was h H t . e t morning or evening, day or nig old me he had had

t T two aintin t t . f g spells, hey f igh ened him hen he spoke of

r t Salambo . I left him lying on his back, calm and es ed , ’ T t t after a moment s talk . owards eleven ha same morning, the un Ke Hui t too t tt t yo g , his servan (alas, in ermi en ly, as ’ ill he often deserted his master s home when he was ) , ‘ ’ t t : the t . called me in grea has e Come, come, whi e is dead “ u u u I ﬂew . I fo nd Ga g in lifeless, one leg hanging

the bu t l . T t from bed , t he was s i l warm ioka was here,

THE LETTERS OF PAUL GAUGUIN wit t i and th tu h all Ca hol c pomp, is was done on Sa rday,

The the d e ﬁx ed the 9th of May. removal of bo y had be n ’ to t t t a for two o clock . I wished be presen and wen here t the t t to ﬁnd t t the n appoin ed ime, only ha body had bee

o u . t taken t the church an ho r and a half before A rick, as

o y usee . “ And now Gauguin reposes in the Catholic cemetery in

r un To holy g o d . my mind Gauguin should have had only ” l t civi ri es .

TH E END A CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE

Pau Gauuin orn aris n l g b P , Ju e 7, 1848

The Gauguin f amily sail f or Peru 1852

C o is Pau Gau uin Seni r die l v l g , o , s 1852

Gau uin f ami return to France r e g ly , O l ans 1856

Gau uin educated in a esuit Seminar Or e n g J y, l a s

’ Pi ot s a rentice on l pp Luzitana .

Enlists in French navy as common sailor

’ Gauuin s mother i g d es .

’ Quits navy and j oins Bertin s (Bankers )

Marries Mlle Sophie Gad

' Meets Painter Schuﬂ enecher and begins to paint

Exhibits at Salon

Exhibits with Impressionists

’ Leaves Bertin s and devotes himself to painting

Removes with f amily to Copenhagen

Final break with f amily and returns to Paris

Contributes nineteen pictures to I mpressionists

Removes to Pont Aven Brittan , y

eets Bernard a ed 17 M , g

Sails with Charles Laval to Martinique

' Returns to Paris and lives with Schuﬁenecher 177 178 A CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE

r 8 . Pa is, 188

s ith van G h at Ar es ct -De 3 0 . . Stay w og l . c 188

u en in a a Dec. 1 Po t Av g . . 888

Volpini exhibition (Syntheticist) 1889

‘ Stays with Schuﬁenecher Late 1889-90

Stays with de Monf reid 1890-91

’ Perf ormance at Theatre d Art- Sale at Hotel Drouot 1891

i f T A ri 1891 Sa ls or ahiti p l ,

Ar ive P eete une 8 1891 r s ap J , uu 0 A e . . A st 3 893 rrives Marseill s g , 1

Exhibition at Durand -Ruel 1894

e f ec Fe ruar 1895 Sal s of ef ts b y,

Leaves f or Tahiti 1895 i nuar 1 8 t mmit uicide . a 89 Attemp s to co s a J y,

u ust 901 r ues s . A 1 Removes to the Ma q a g ,

de n t im risonment and ﬁne A ri 1903 Con m ed o p p l ,

s Le Domini ue ar uesas . Ma 8 1903 Dk , q , M q y ,