The Courtauld Institute of Art, part of the University of London, has acquired an important manuscript – recordings by the French post-impressionist artist Paul Gauguin. The text is accompanied by a large number of illustrations: portraits, landscapes, and other sketches. The 213-page manuscript "Avant et après" can be considered a memoir. In it, the author revealed his views on life and personal relationships, adding graphic material to his thoughts.
The manuscript "Avant et après" was completed in 1903, the year of the artist's death, when he lived out his last days in the Marquesas Islands (Îles Marquises) in Polynesia. Previously, the text has never been exposed to the General public. These records are important in the study of Gauguin's later works, works of the Tahitian period. In addition, biographers and art researchers will get more information about the communication between Gauguin and van Gogh, learn stories about Degas, Cezanne and other artists of that time. The author of the lines also mentions critics and art critics who did not understand modern art, speaks out about bourgeois morality, and opposes the French colonial authorities in Polynesia.
At the end of 2020, the manuscript will be fully digitized, some edits will be made to the digital version, and the text will be translated into English. The original will add to the exhibition presented in the Courtauld gallery.
Photo © courtauld.ac.uk
Photo © courtauld.ac.uk
Photo © courtauld.ac.uk
Photo © courtauld.ac.uk
Photo © courtauld.ac.uk
Photo © courtauld.ac.uk
Photo © courtauld.ac.uk
Photo © courtauld.ac.uk