Gauguin : portraits /

This handsome catalogue was published in conjunction with an exhibition sponsored by the National Gallery of Canada and The National Gallery, London. It comes on the heels of Gauguin: Artist as Alchemist (CH, Mar'18, 55-2371), an exhibition/catalogue that focused on Gauguin's three-dimensional work and decorative art. Together these two recent exhibitions and catalogues offer a much-needed, comprehensive evaluation of Gauguin's least understood and least discussed subject matter and artistic practice. Here one learns of Gauguin's reimaging of conventional portrait practice, an approach developed in light of his symbolist context, fascination with non-Western cultures, and penchant for bending the rules. For instance, in his essay "Animation and Personhood: Gauguin's Still Lifes as Portraits," Dario Gamboni discusses Gauguin's habit of blending genres and using inanimate objects as proxies for himself and others, a practice that was inspired by the examples of Cezanne, Degas, and Manet, which Gauguin extended through his use of analogy and interest in the theory of empathy. Other essays examine Gauguin's self-portraits, portraits of his friends and colleagues, portraits completed in Tahiti and Brittany, and his three-dimensional portraits. All the essays are well illustrated and supported by endnotes. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. --David E. Gliem, Eckerd College

The authors, published art historians and curators, use Gauguin's portraiture to show the late 19th-century origins of modern art, what portraiture meant for Gauguin, how he expanded the parameters of portraiture, and how his multimedia approach furthered his artistic expression and allowed him to capture the essence of his individual sitters. Through his manuscripts and correspondence, readers hear Gauguin talk about the subjects of his portraits, including himself, his family, Tahitians, Bretons, contemporary artists such as van Gogh, other friends, their mistresses, and notables of his day. The relatively freestanding chapters are tied together by the theme of Gauguin's use of his portraits to represent his alter egos as symbolist, savage, savior, creator, martyr, and an avant-gardist suffering for his art. He portrayed himself as Christ, Buffalo Bill, a Native American, and a peasant to self-promote, self-mythologize, and self-aggrandize. Lavishly illustrated with numerous full-page images, this exhibition catalog is thoroughly researched, each chapter containing endnotes. Also includes a list of illustrations, a bibliography, and index. VERDICT Written in a straightforward style, this book is not only a fine complement to the exhibition for visitors, but also for art historians, art history students, and engaged general readers.--Nancy J. Mactague, formerly Aurora Univ. Lib., IL