Paul Gauguin, His Life and Art

he makeshift Republic came to an end and Louis Napoleon, by an easy coup d'état, restored the Empire. Clovis Gauguin found himself ruined with the suspension of the Liberal pape

auguin was seized with heart failure and died. His body was taken ashore and buri

that Gauguin at this time was scarcely four years of age. We know that the family were wealthy nobles, of high social standing, who lived in the old Castillian manner of luxury and indolence. From such surroundings Gauguin doubtless derived much of the "hidalgo manner" that distinguished him throughout life-a blend of

randfather died in France, and his mother returned to that country in ord

often did, when desiring to mystify and startle people about his life. It is an enchanting but fruitless speculation to wonder what course the boy's mind might have taken had it been subjected for a few more years to the influence of Peruvian life. Peru undoubtedly g

ion. He remained at a seminary at Orleans till the age of seventeen, hating his studies, becoming more and more intra

red of hypocrisy, false virtue and spying. And with malicious irony he said: "And I also learnt there a littl

lacing him as a cadet in the navy, but he ignominiously failed to pass the necessary examination. He was ther

t, on a voyage from Havre to Rio de Janeiro. His gra

see again the tropics, Gauguin retain

's harbor awakened in his mind fresh enthusiasm for the tropics. The stay at Rio was further signalized by a liaison with an actress, of that eminently casual kind which Gauguin was to experience so often later on. Finally the return voyage brought about another liaison, this time with a Prussian woman, and in defiance of ship's discipline. It was certain that his character-was not o

e tropics again, Gauguin's new experiences were only of the ice-bound Greenland coast and the barren North Cape. This was bad, but still w

the second officer, seeing t

nt first officer; Charenton being t

eon was painted out, that of Desaix substituted, and the unfortunate cruiser was obliged to remain in the waters