Paul GAUGUIN (1848-1903). L.A.S., [Tahiti] November 1891, to - Lot 27

Paul GAUGUIN (1848-1903). L.A.S., [Tahiti] November 1891, to Paul Sérusier; 3 1/2 pages in-4 (cracks in folds very well repaired). Beautiful letter about his work during his first stay in Tahiti. Letters from his "dear Séruse" please him in his solitude, and he worries about not having heard from "Morisse" [Charles Morice] since he left Paris, leaving him "in charge of my pending affairs. 500f that I had lent him", plus 300F that Jean Dolent was to give for the painting that was at Father Tanguy's. Plus the Goupil and Portier businesses... These worries are "getting in the way of my work... Even so, I'm working hard and hard. I can't say if it's good, because it's a lot and it's nothing. Not a painting yet - but a lot of research that could be fruitful, a lot of documents that I hope will serve me for a long time in France. For example, by dint of simplifying, I can't really judge the result right now. I think it's disgusting. When I come back, I'll have dry canvases, frames, etc... all the clothes that will speak for themselves, and I'll judge". He complains of his loneliness "45 kilometers from the city, no one to talk to about art, or even French"; he tries with difficulty to learn the language of the country: "What do you want, no memory, and above all a head always elsewhere, lost in endless daydreams". There have been changes in his life, "in my affairs and my hopes. The king [Pomaré V] died, which was a disaster for me. With him, who had already taken a liking to me, I had everything, money and influence over the natives. With him dead, the colony has changed completely, and I've lost considerably. Ah, if I still knew how to paint trompe l'oeil like the Americans, I might be able to sell a few canvases at a good price, but I am and know how to do what you know. He asks for news of Meyer [Meyer de Haan] and speaks of Sérusier's work: "You're very kind to put your intellectual progress on my back; I may have a small share in it", but he is convinced that "artists only do what is good in them. Seeds only grow in fertile ground". Finally, Gauguin would like some news, especially about the Champ de Mars exhibition: "Did my sculpture appear there and did it make a good impression." He had the "good idea to bring music and a mandolin, which is a great distraction for me. I owe the idea of playing this instrument to Filliger [Charles Filiger]. I think I've now surpassed Filliger in virtuosity"...