Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin

Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin were friends. Good friends. The two painters lived and painted together for 9 weeks, in the Yellow House in Arles. But what made their relationship so special? Why did Gauguin move to Arles? What influence did they have on each others work? Why did Gauguin suddenly leave The Yellow House to never return again? And what caused the big fight between the two close friends?

Find all the answers to these questions and more in this special section about Van Gogh and Gauguin!

Biography Paul Gauguin

Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a leading Post-Impressionist painter. Paul Gauguin was born in Paris, France. His father was journalist Clovis Gauguin and his mother half-Peruvian Aline Maria Chazal, the daughter of proto-socialist leader Flora Tristan. Gauguin was raised in a middle-class family.

The wish to work together

Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin shared the wish to work together. Vincent met Gauguin in 1886 in Paris and he admired him: Gauguin was a sailor, an enthusiastic painter, he had worked in the exotic Martinique and could talk endless about painting. Just like Van Gogh himself.

Vincent and Gauguin in the Yellow House

Van Gogh and Gauguin, the two spirited artists, lived together in the Yellow House for 9 weeks. During these weeks the artists learned from each other and inspired each other.

Turbulent Times

Gauguin and Van Gogh were two geniuses with a very different background and mentality. Despite their differences, Vincent and Gauguin shared their views about art, religion, culture and the meaning of life. They had great respect for each other. Their time together started off as a great plan for a wonderful time but ended up in a drama. A series of violent incidents around Christmas Eve 1888 brought a dramatic end to their friendship and collaboration.

Paintings by Gauguin

Gauguin used expressive colors in his paintings, influenced by his ambiance and the people he met. Gauguin was an artist who preferred to paint out of his imagination. He traveled a lot in hope to find exotic subjects to paint.