Museum Folkwang Collection Online
Contes barbares
  • Paul Gauguin

  • Contes barbares, 1902

  • Oil on canvas
  • 150 x 109 x 8 cm
  • Acquired in 1903/04 for the Museum Folkwang, Hagen, since 1922 Essen
  • Inv. G 54
  • On view
  • CommentaryThe portraits Paul Gauguin created in context with his stays in Polynesia are in many cases not true-to-life depictions of people. Instead, the paintings are invented, highly complex scenes in which Gauguin assembles elements of different cultures. For this reason, paintings such as the one exhibited here can sometimes still not be clearly deciphered in terms of content. As Elizabeth Childs has described, Gauguin deliberately used Polynesian references to further fuel the notion of a mysterious island paradise in the Pacific among his European audiences, thus making his art interesting. The title Gauguin chose for this canvas is perceived today as racist, so we refrain from translating it on the work's label.
  • Obj_Id: 3,010
  • Obj_Internet_S: Highlight
  • Obj_Ownership_S (Verantw):Painting, Sculpture, Media Art
  • Obj_SpareNField01_N (Verantw):
  • Obj_Creditline_S: Museum Folkwang, Essen, Gemäldesammlung
  • Obj_Title1_S: Contes barbares
  • Obj_Title2_S:
  • Obj_PartDescription_S (Titelerg):
  • Obj_SpareMField01_M (Alle Titel): Contes barbares
  • Obj_Dating_S: 1902
  • Jahr von: 1,902
  • Jahr bis: 1,902
  • Obj_IdentNr_S: G 54
  • Obj_IdentNrSort_S: G 0054
  • Obj_Classification_S (Objtyp): Painting
  • Obj_Crate_S: 150 x 109 x 8 cm
  • Obj_Material_S: Oil on canvas
  • Obj_Technique_S:
  • Obj_SpareSField01_S (Mat./Tech.): Oil on canvas
  • Obj_AccNote_S (Erwerb): Acquired in 1903/04 for the Museum Folkwang, Hagen, since 1922 Essen
  • Obj_PermanentLocation_S (Standort): On view
  • Obj_Condition1_S (Druckerei):
  • Obj_Condition2_S (Auflage):
  • Obj_Subtype_S (Genre):
  • Obj_Rights_S:
Commentary
Artists

The portraits Paul Gauguin created in context with his stays in Polynesia are in many cases not true-to-life depictions of people. Instead, the paintings are invented, highly complex scenes in which Gauguin assembles elements of different cultures. For this reason, paintings such as the one exhibited here can sometimes still not be clearly deciphered in terms of content. As Elizabeth Childs has described, Gauguin deliberately used Polynesian references to further fuel the notion of a mysterious island paradise in the Pacific among his European audiences, thus making his art interesting. The title Gauguin chose for this canvas is perceived today as racist, so we refrain from translating it on the work's label.