Discoveries: Gauguin

I concur that the text in this book is just superb. Regarding the illustrations, I wasn't offended by the presence of black and white plates. There are something like 300 illustrations in 311 pages and by my quick count over a hundred of them are in color.

Having just traveled to the Society Islands I wanted more info on Paul Gaugin. This book is the best of all I have read on him although it is short and sweet. Beautiful artwork and packed with facts on his life. Has renewed my interest in art!

In 1992 Françoise Cachin published what many consider to be the definitive monograph on that odd influential artist Paul Gauguin. Now this revised version is even more richly detailed with added images and enhanced writing. Cachin comes to her subject with a deep understanding of Gauguin's life and work: she is a past director of the Musée d'Orsay and a very elegant author. Beginning with Gauguin's early years as a stockbroker cum self taught artist in Brittany, Cachin follows the richly colorful journey of this egocentric and enigmatic fauve through his earliest drawings and paintings, his time in France, his influence on and from the Impressionists, his jump into the theories of Post-Impressionism, and his ultimate works from his island paradise in Tahiti. Every interesting stage in this gifted painter's life is illustrated by paintings from that particular ambience and influence. This very well written and finely meshed interrelationship between the times, the man, and the work allows us to admire not just the famous works, but appreciate anew the minor works on the path to his great South Pacific canvases. From content to illustration to design to biographical documentation and appendix of references, this is a beautiful volume well worth the price. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

This book,as all the books of this France Company, are absolutely unmissable for all of you who like Paul Gauguin art. The book offer beautiful pictures and many details about Gauguin life that I've never found in any other book talking about the same topic. The only weak point of this chain of books is that the publisher choosed a bad glue for those books thus the cover and a few page jumped out of the book. Apart this annoying problem the books of this chain are simply great ( IF YOU HAVE YOUR OWN GLUE) .

Cachin has beautifully edited Gauguin's paintings and "barbaric" wood carvings in a journalistic style with varieties of print sizes wrapped around graphics. Juicy tidbits about the artist flamboyant personal and artistic lives are combined with photos and personal descriptions of Gauguin by comtemporary admirers and detractors. A fresh look at the artist. You'll like it!