Paul Gauguin - Mette asleep on a sofa 1875

Mette asleep on a sofa 1875
Mette asleep on a sofa
1875 24x32cm oil/canvas
Private Collection

« previous picture | 1870s Gauguin Paintings | next picture »

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
In 1873, Gauguin married a Danish woman, Mette-Sophie Gad (1850–1920). Over the next ten years, they had five children: Émile (1874–1955); Aline (1877–1897); Clovis (1879–1900); Jean René (1881–1961); and Paul Rollon (1883–1961). By 1884, Gauguin had moved with his family to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he pursued a business career as a tarpaulin salesman. It was not a success: He could not speak Danish, and the Danes did not want French tarpaulins. Mette became the chief breadwinner, giving French lessons to trainee diplomats.
His middle-class family and marriage fell apart after 11 years when Gauguin was driven to paint full-time. He returned to Paris in 1885, after his wife and her family asked him to leave because he had renounced the values they shared. Gauguin's last physical contact with them was in 1891, Mette eventually breaking with him decisively in 1894.