14. Paul Gauguin, French, 1848-1903. Woman in the Waves (Ondine), 1889. Oil on canvas, 92 x 72 cm. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William Powell Jones, 1978.63

Paul Gauguin's Woman in the Waves (Ondine) depicts a woman plunging into the crashing waves before her. She is nude, her back presented to the viewer while her right hand is raised to her face; her flaming red hair contrasts with the deep green of the surging waters. From afar the woman's hair appears as a solid flat shape of red paint, suggesting the influence of Japonism and stained glass. The juxtaposition of colors to create the subtle curves and shadows of the woman's body is evidence of the influence of impressionism, while the flat composition with its sharp-edged contours and large planes of color is characteristic of styles known as symbolism and synthetism created by Gauguin and artists influenced by him, as well as the technique known as cloisonnism.

Born in 1848 to a Parisian journalist and a Peruvian woman, Gauguin spent the first six years of his life in Peru. After the death of his father, Gauguin returned to France with his mother and sister. While working as a stockbroker in Paris, he began painting as a hobby, and exhibited at the Salon of 1876. However, it was not until 1882, after the collapse of the French stock market, that he took up painting as a career--much to the dismay of his wife, Mette, who was expecting a child.

Disillusioned with the civilized and industrialized world, Gauguin was attracted to primitive cultures. He believed that by living as a "savage," he would "create art that is simple" and rid himself of the preconceptions acquired through the influence of modern civilization. In search of an untamed environment, Gauguin traveled many times to Brittany (1886-87, 1888, 1889-90) to find subjects for his paintings. Woman in the Waves (Ondine) is one of the works from his early Brittany period.

Throughout his artistic career, Gauguin experimented with many different styles. Under the direction of Camille Pissarro he began painting as an impressionist, but soon moved on to become a major figure in the symbolist and synthetist movements. Woman in the Waves (Ondine) is an early example of Gauguin's exploration of these new styles. He used recognizable symbols and simple compositions in his paintings to explain the folklore and traditions of his Breton subjects. His interest in the Breton culture marks the beginnings of Gauguin's synthetism. As a synthetist, Gauguin incorporated many different cultural experiences and traditions into his paintings in order to deepen their meaning. His works from Brittany are a prelude to the amazing paintings and sculptures he would create in Tahiti.

The word "Ondine" in the title refers to a water sprite who entices a knight to marry her in order to acquire a soul. However, he abandons her for a human woman. On his wedding day, Ondine emerges from the sea and kills the knight with a fatal kiss. In keeping with the symbolist movement, the sea represents the giver and taker of life.

Vivian Kung and Patricia Richmond
Teacher Resource Center
Department of Education and Public Programs

© 1997 The Cleveland Museum of Art