Description:

Gauguin Paul

Paul Gauguin ALS 2 Months before his Final Departure for Tahiti, Where He Would Focus on Art, Having Split from His Wife, "The Little Snake"

 

2pp autograph letter in French inscribed overall and signed by French Impressionist Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) as "Paul Gauguin" at the center of the second page. The letter and original transmittal envelope are displayed to the left of a color reproduction of Gauguin's Self-Portrait in a Hat, ca. 1893. Strikingly presented in a cream mat enhanced with gilt filet measuring 20.5" x 15.5" x .5" overall.

 

Gauguin's letter was addressed from Paris, France, ca. April 30, 1895. Written on the inner pages of watermarked cream laid bifold paper. Expected paper folds, a few with tiny isolated closed tears. Overall light toning, else near fine. 8.75" x 6.75". Accompanied by the original transmittal envelope addressed to Gauguin's close friend and fellow artist, Emile Schuffenecker (1851-1934). The envelope, also inscribed in Gauguin's hand, is addressed to "Monsieur Emile Schuffenecker / Artist Painter / 3 Rue Paturle / near the West Belt, Paris". The envelope bears a canceled 15 centime French stamp; is docketed "Gauguin / personal" by the letter recipient at upper left; and is letter-opened at left.

 

In the letter, Gauguin berates Schuffenecker for having listened to the "slander" of "the little snake", presumably referring to the former's estranged wife Mette-Sophie Gad (1850-1920), for whom Schuffenecker often acted as an intermediary. Gauguin significantly refers to "his departure", which was almost certainly his final departure from France for Tahiti just two months later, in June 1895. Gauguin also mentions the artists' mutual friend Emile Bernard (1868-1941).

 

Mette-Sophie Gad was a Danish governess and paid traveling companion when she met Paul Gauguin, a young and handsome Parisian stockbroker, in 1873. The couple married and eventually had five children, and lived more than comfortably on Gauguin's brokerage income. The 1882 French economic recession, in which Gauguin lost much of his investments, coincided with his decision to dedicate himself fulltime to painting. These and other stresses led to the pair's separation in 1885. Gauguin's last face-to-face contact with Mette and their children was in 1891. The Gauguins irrevocably broke in 1894, but the artist still communicated to his wife via his friend Schuffenecker. A continuing dispute related to Gauguin's inheritance from his paternal uncle Isidore, who had died ca. 1893. Though Gauguin allotted Mette 1,500 francs of his 13,000 legacy, she evidently thought this amount was insufficient.

 

What was the "petit serpent" claiming now? The accusations are not explicitly stated, but Gauguin vigorously denied them.

 

Translated in full:

 

"My dear Schuffenecker and poor invalid

 

Already before my departure you were stupidly letting yourself be influenced by the little snake. Today it is more serious. What will I respond to this slander? nothing.

 

Your request coming from any other person, I would send you to hell with sarcasms; from you, I suffer from it because it makes you suffer.

 

As for Bernard, that is another thing. I must respond and I pray that you send him my letter, with or without commentary from you. If you read it closely you will understand (what you should have done before) the motive prompting Bernard to act as he did.

 

Cordially all yours,

 

Paul Gauguin".

 

Transcript in French, with unchanged spelling and punctuation:

 

"Mon cher Schuffencker et pauvre malade

 

Deja avant mon départ vous vous étiez stupidement laissé influencer par ce petit serpent. Aujourd'hui c'est plus grave. Que vous répondre a cette calomnie, rien.

 

Votre demande serait d'un autre je l'enverrais promener avec sarcasmes; de vous j'en souffre parceque vous en souffrez.

 

À Bernard c'est autre chose, je dois répondre et je vous prie de lui envoyer ma lettre avec ou sans commentaire de votre part. Si vous la lisez attentivement vous comprendrez (ce que vous auriez du faire avant) le mobile qui fait agir Bernard.

 

Cordialement tout à vous

 

Paul Gauguin".

 

Paul Gauguin had met Schuffenecker in 1872. The two stockbrokers were both aspiring artists and became close friends. In addition to being a painter, Schuffenecker was also an art teacher and art collector.

 

Gauguin and Schuffenecker's friend Emile Bernard was a fellow painter, but also an art critic, poet, and playwright. Bernard befriended legendary artists of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art scene. In addition to Gauguin, whom he met in 1886, Bernard had close ties to Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, and others.

 

Gauguin, relying on his friends' charity and practically destitute during the spring of 1895, was hopeful to return to his beloved Tahiti. His friend, Symbolist painter Eugène Carrière, purchased Gauguin an inexpensive ship ticket. Gauguin left France for Tahiti on June 28, 1895. He died in French Polynesia eight years later, in 1903, having never returned.

 

In 2017, a similar Paul Gauguin autograph letter signed sold at RR Auctions (Boston, Massachusetts) for nearly $50,000!

 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

 

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