Gauguin, Self Portrait
Paul Gauguin was a struggling Post-Impressionist artist. On 11 January 1892 he married a 13-year-old Tahitian girl. You might say this marriage made him a bigamist because he was still married to his first wife Mette (nee Gad) until his death in 1903 of syphilis. There is little online information of his marriage to the Tahitian girl. It is interesting to note that Gauguin became a celebrated artist but in his personal life he tended to enjoy seamier practices and habits than what was considered the norm.
For more information on Gaugin:
Discover France.net article on Gauguin
Time Magazine article
Wow a 13 year old girl, it still amazes me how young people got married back then, I could not imagine my daughter being married that young, thanks for the history :o)
ReplyDeleteAnd he still had a wife and 5 kids in Europe! I see a lot of 13 year old kids when I substitute teach and I actually had a 7th grade girl tell me she wanted to have a baby so she could become an emancipated minor. I tried explaining to her that she had 5 years until she was 18 or she could tie herself down for 18 years at least until her baby was grown. I hope I got through to her. Babies having babies...scary.
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat piece of history. Men haven't changed much, have they? (snickering).
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting on WIP Wednesday. Surely you can find something to play along with? I'd love to see your doily!
Thanks Marie Anne. I agree with you, there are still men out there like him lol! Fortunately a few men have their acts together :).
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