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The Call

Paul Gauguin · 1902

Paul Gauguin: 1848–1903

UnclassifiedFrance
Other names (12)

Eugene-Henri Gauguin, Eugene-Henri-Paul Gauguin, Eugène Henry Paul Gauguin, Gauguin, gauguin paul, Kao-keng, Pablo Gauguin, Paul Eugène Henri Gauguin, Paul Gaugin, P. gaugin, p. gauguin, Polʹ Gogen

Biography

Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (; French: [øʒɛn ɑ̃ʁi pɔl ɡoɡɛ̃]; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements. He was also an influential practitioner of wood engraving and woodcuts as art forms. While only moderately successful during his lifetime, Gauguin has since been recognized for his experimental use of color and Synthetist style that were distinct from Impressionism.

Gauguin was born in Paris in 1848, amidst the tumult of Europe's revolutionary year. In 1850, Gauguin's family settled in Peru, where he experienced a privileged childhood (until the age of six) that left a lasting impression on him. Later, financial struggles led them back to France, where Gauguin received formal education. Initially working as a stockbroker, Gauguin started painting in his spare time, his interest in art kindled by visits to galleries and exhibitions.

The financial crisis of 1882 significantly impacted his brokerage career, prompting a shift to full-time painting. Gauguin's art education was largely self-taught and informal, shaped significantly by his associations with other artists rather than academic training. His entry into the art world was facilitated by his acquaintance with Camille Pissarro, a leading Impressionist. Pissarro took on a mentor role for Gauguin, introducing him to other Impressionist artists and techniques.

He exhibited with the Impressionists in the early 1880s, but soon began developing his distinct style, characterized by a bolder use of color and less traditional subject matter. His work in Brittany and Martinique showcased his inclination towards depicting native life and landscapes. By the 1890s, Gauguin's art took a significant turn during his time in Tahiti, then a French colony, where he sought a refuge from Western civilization. Gauguin's later years in Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands were marked by health problems and financial struggles.

His paintings from that period, characterized by vivid colors and Symbolist themes, would prove highly successful among the European viewers for their exploration of the relationships between people, nature, and the spiritual world. Gauguin's art became popular after his death, partially from the efforts of dealer Ambroise Vollard, who organized exhibitions of his work late in his career and assisted in organizing two important posthumous exhibitions in Paris. His work was influential on the French avant-garde and many modern artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, and he is well known for his relationship with Vincent and Theo van Gogh.

Wikipedia contributors. Opening excerpt, formatted for reading. CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision.

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The Call — Paul Gauguin

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The Call

1902

oil on canvas · The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland

Artwork details and sources
Dating
Exact year
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
Framed: 160.5 x 119 x 9.5 cm (63 3/16 x 46 7/8 x 3 3/4 in.); Unframed: 131.3 x 89.5 cm (51 11/16 x 35 1/4 in.)
Collection no.
1943.392
Attribution
By the artist
Image rights
CC0 1.0License details

Paul Gauguin. The Call. The Cleveland Museum of Art. CC0 1.0. Compressed full-frame reproduction.

Collection: The Cleveland Museum of Art

About this artwork

The Call — Paul Gauguin. 1902.

Medium: oil on canvas. Dimensions: Framed: 160.5 x 119 x 9.5 cm (63 3/16 x 46 7/8 x 3 3/4 in.); Unframed: 131.3 x 89.5 cm (51 11/16 x 35 1/4 in.).

Collection record: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

Painted on a remote island in Polynesia a year before the artist's death, The Call belongs to a series of late works that explore the mysteries of life and death. Two women stand with bare feet, as if on sacred ground. One woman gestures to someone outside the picture, perhaps responding to a "call" from fate or destiny. Gauguin realized his ambition of painting from memory and the imagination through such mysterious, dreamlike images.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.

Location checked Sep 10, 2026. This does not indicate whether the work is on display.

Artwork sourcesImage source

Paul Gauguin. The Call. The Cleveland Museum of Art. CC0 1.0. Compressed full-frame reproduction.