David Zwirner Books republishes Gauguin's final essay on art criticism
David Zwirner Books has republished Paul Gauguin's essay 'Racontars de rapin,' originally written in French and now titled 'Ramblings of a Wannabe Painter.' The text, completed months before Gauguin's death in 1903, remained unpublished for 50 years. In it, Gauguin adopts the persona of a literary figure who paints, using irony to critique the Paris art scene and its critics from his remote island home. He argues that an artist's emotions are autonomous and fundamentally different from a writer's, beyond critical assessment. Editor and translator Donatien Grau provides footnotes clarifying obscure references to historical figures and debates. The essay offers a granular, witty analysis of the early 20th-century art world, blending past and present perspectives. This publication marks the first in a new series by David Zwirner Books focusing on overlooked masterpieces, with the article originally appearing in ArtReview's March 2017 issue.
Key facts
- Paul Gauguin wrote 'Racontars de rapin' in 1903, months before his death
- The essay was unpublished for 50 years after Gauguin's death
- David Zwirner Books republished it as 'Ramblings of a Wannabe Painter'
- Donatien Grau edited and translated the work, adding footnotes
- Gauguin critiques Paris art critics from his remote island residence
- He argues artists' emotions are autonomous and unknowable to critics
- The text is the first in a new series of overlooked masterpieces
- ArtReview originally published an article on it in March 2017
Entities
Artists
- Paul Gauguin
Institutions
- David Zwirner Books
- ArtReview
Locations
- Paris
- France