Paul Gauguin (1848-1903)
Autograph letter signed ('Paul Gauguin') to Daniel [de Monfreid], [Tahiti], April [1901]
In French. Two pages, 228 x 176mm. Provenance: Sotheby's, 26 November 1980, lot 194.

Gauguin announces his intention to settle in the Marquesas Islands. Life in Tahiti has been significantly disrupted by a flu epidemic, preventing him from 'getting to work seriously', and worse, reports of bubonic plague in San Francisco mean that all shipping is quarantined and prices have doubled, 'meaning life here is more expensive than in Paris'. Gauguin therefore, 'in spite of how much I love how I am set up here', plans to sell off everything he has in Tahiti: 'I shall go and settle on one of the Marquesas Islands where life is very easy and very cheap. It will be a loss of time but fundamentally it will be very sensible; the Vollard deal will easily cover the cost and I shall find completely new elements for painting there'. Gauguin gives Monfreid instructions for dealing with his affairs: 'do as much business as possible with Béziers so that I can always keep ahead of things. Also, as I am very much behindhand with Vollard if he shows some concern do not fear to give him some old canvases from those which are not in reserve for the future and which you are showing only to serious clients. On receipt of my letter write therefore to Vollard for him to send me good unprimed canvas (with good skin glue), because with absorbent canvas which I prime myself I work much better, much less quickly and I use up less colours'.

J'irai alors m'installer dans une île des Marquises où la vie est très facile et très bon marché. Ce sera une perte de temps mais au fond ce sera très sage ; la combinaison Vollard suffira largement aux dépenses et je trouverai là des éléments tout à fait nouveaux pour la peinture … En tous cas faites le plus possible des affaires avec Béziers afin que je puisse arriver à avoir toujours de l’avance. Autre chose comme je suis très en retard avec Vollard ne craignez pas s’il manifeste quelques craintes de lui céder des anciennes toiles parmi celles qui ne sont pas en réserve pour l’avenir et que vous ne faites voir qu’aux clients sérieux. Au reçu de ma lettre écrivez donc à Vollard qu’il m’envoie de la bonne toile non préparée (avec de la bonne colle de peau) car avec la toile absorbante que je prépare moi-même je travaille beaucoup mieux, beaucoup plus vite et j’use moins de couleurs.

Daniel de Monfreid (1856-1929) was a close friend, collector and later biographer of Gauguin. Gauguin had planned a move to the Marquesas for some time, in part searching for a primitive society without the loss of cultural identity he perceived in Tahiti. He eventually settled in Atuona on the island of Hiva-Oa on 16 September 1901.