NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART TO PRESENT 'GAUGUIN: MAKER OF MYTH'

THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART, WASHINGTON, WILL BE PRESENTING 'GAUGUIN: MAKER OF MYTH' THE FIRST MAJOR EXHIBITION OF HIS WORK SINCE 'THE ART OF PAUL GAUGUIN', THE GALLERY'S BLOCKBUSTER RETROSPECTIVE OF 1988-89 THAT TRAVELED TO CHICAGO AND PARIS. SOME 120 WORKS BY PAUL GAUGUIN (1848-1903), WHOSE USE OF POETIC NARRATIVE, MYTH AND FABLE THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER CONTINUES TO MESMERIZE AUDIENCES WORLDWIDE, WILL BE ON VIEW IN THE EAST BUILDING, 7.FEBRUARY THROUGH 5.JUNE.2011. THE STUNNING EXHIBITION EXPLORES THE MYTHS BEHIND THE MAN. THESE INCLUDE THE ROLE OF GAUGUIN AS STORYTELLER AND MYTH MAKER THROUGH HIS REINVENTION OR APPROPRIATION OF NARRATIVES AND MYTHS DRAWN FROM BOTH HIS EUROPEAN CULTURAL HERITAGE OR FROM MAORI LEGEND, HIS USE OF RELIGIOUS AND MYTHICAL SYMBOLS, AND THE MANIPULATION OF HIS OWN LIFE-CYCLE MYTHS, THE FEMME FATALE, VENUS, EVE AND TEMPTATION, THE NATIVITY AND THE NOBLE SAVAGE. REFLECTING GAUGUIN'S REMARKABLE BREATH, THE EXHIBITION WILL INCLUDE EXAMPLES FROM EVERY PERIOD (CIRCA 1880-1903), MEDIUM (PAINTING, WATERCOLOR, PASTEL, DRAWINGS AND PRINTS, CERAMIC AND WOODEN SCULPTURES, DECORATED FUNCTIONAL OBJECTS, WRITINGS, AND BOOKS), AND GENRE (PORTRAITURE, STILL LIFE AND LANDSCAPE). GAUGUIN WAS THE ULTIMATE GLOBAL TRAVELER, NOT JUST SAILING THE SOUTH SEAS BUT LIVING IN PERU, PARIS, MARTINIQUE AND TAHITI, AMONG OTHER PLACES. THE EXHIBITION FEATURES MANY OF HIS ICONIC PAINTINGS ON LOAN FROM AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING THOSE OF DAILY VILLAGE LIFE FROM THE ARTIST'S COLONY OF PONT-AVEN IN BRITTANY, SCENES OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP IN THE BRETON LANDSCAPE, AND DECORATIVE WORKS SUCH AS THE CARVED WOODEN DOOR PANELS FROM GAUGUIN'S HUT IN THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS IN FRENCH POLYNESIA, WHERE HE WENT TO ESCAPE EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION. INSPIRED BY TAHITI'S TROPICAL FLORA, FAUNA AND ISLAND LIFE, HE IMMERSED HIMSELF IN ITS FAST-DISAPPEARING MAORI CULTURE TO INVEST HIS ART WITH DEEPER MEANING, RITUAL AND MYTH.
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