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The concept of vision in Paul Gauguin’s Vision après le sermon

University of British Columbia

The central concern of this thesis is the concept of vision as subject and artistic mode as a means of comprehending Paul Gauguin's Vision après le sermon of 1888. The painting in its style and imagery is argued to be a reflection of Gauguin's beliefs and aims at the time of, its execution, showing continuity in his growth and development of a visionary approach to art. The visionary aspects of the painting are presented as being most significant in revealing the nature and meaning of Vision après le sermon and placing the work into the context of its time. The evolution and development of the artist's interests and concerns up to and including 1888 are examined to demonstrate the growth of his visionary style with this work discussed as "exemplar of his manner of expression. Gauguin's own view of himself as seer and spiritual leader is explored in relationship to the late nineteenth century attitude of the artist as visionary, to suggest that he was very much a product of his time. The nineteenth century concept of dream or vision as the artist's own reality is focused upon to suggest that Gauguin's Vision après le sermon reflects 'S' the artist's perception of his personal environment. The iconographic significance of the various elements in the painting are assessed to show how Gauguin's attitudes were manifested through his use of imagery in this work - a painting which was a culminating statement in his artistic development and which clearly reflected his concerns about life and art at the time.

Text

2010-03-09

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/21686

Fine Arts

University of British Columbia

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