Still Life with Teapot and Fruit

One of Gauguin’s most treasured possessions was a painting by Cézanne, Still Life with Fruit Dish, which he emulates in this picture.  (You know, Cézanne loved still lifes—you can check some of them in our Archive.)  Within a similarly compressed space, Gauguin substituted mangoes for Cézanne’s apples and a Tahitian-style printed cloth for a French floral wallpaper design. One significant departure is the human figure at the upper right, glimpsed through a door or window. The year after he completed this work, Gauguin’s finances were so dire that he arranged for the sale of his prized Cézanne.

Paul Gauguin is one of the best known Post-Impressionist artists. If you would like to learn more about this genre, please check our Basic Post-Impressionism course here.  :)

P.S. We all love Gauguin's paradise paintings, but did you know the darker side of the painter? Here you can find out why he is called a monster by some.