Remembering Paul Gauguin and His Color Palette

My 2010 Acrylic Using Bold Colors
in the Gauguin Style

Today is June 7. It’s an interesting date because today is the birthday of Paul Gauguin. He was born in 1848.

You remember Paul, right?

He was known for using very bright and bold colors that could certainly render an eye-catching canvas. His bold choice of colors was not particularly harmonious, and I think you’ll agree, neither were his paintings.

Whether you like Gauguin’s work or not, you must admit most of it is colorful, if nothing else. 

And what was his color palette? One site I came across provided the following:

-Cobalt Blue

-Prussian blue

-Cobalt Violet

-Cadmium Yellow

-Chrome Yellow

-Red Ochre

-Emerald Green

-Viridian

-Lead White

As I said, bold choices.

You may also remember that he left France for Tahiti in French Polynesia in 1891, and after several trips, moved there permanently. He painted the indigenous population, including several young women who infamously, according to some, appear in many of his later works.

Gauguin died May 8, 1903 and is buried in Atuona, Hiva ‘Oa, Marquesas Islands.

In addition, and perhaps most interesting, on one site I visited, recent art historians say Gauguin is the one who actually cut off Vincent Van Gogh’s ear (or maybe just the lobe) during a December, 1888, kerfuffle in Arles, France. Van Gogh didn’t dispute claims that he had done it himself; we may never really know.

Aren't painters interesting?

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