By the Sea

painting by Paul Gauguin

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July 20, 2026

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"By the Sea" is a painting by Paul Gauguin, created in 1887 during his trip to Martinique. Gauguin, a French Post-Impressionist painter, sought to express spiritual and emotional states in his work, often moving away from direct representation. In "By the Sea," Gauguin began to depart from Impressionist techniques, employing blocks of color in large, unmodulated planes. This marked a step towards his later style, known as Synthetism, which emphasized a synthesis of formal elements with the idea or emotion conveyed. The painting reflects Gauguin's exploration of "primitive" art and his desire for a more direct and expressive artistic language.12

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Paul Gauguin
Beginnings
…as Tropical Vegetation (1887) and By the Sea (1887), reveal his increasing departure from Impressionist technique during this period, as he was now working with blocks of color in large, unmodulated planes. Upon his return to France late in 1887, Gauguin affected an exotic identity, pointing to his Peruvian ancestry…
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…as Tropical Vegetation (1887) and By the Sea (1887), reveal his increasing departure from Impressionist technique during this period, as he was now working with blocks of color in large, unmodulated planes. Upon his return to France late in 1887, Gauguin affected an exotic identity, pointing to his Peruvian ancestry…
Read More