ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Should Gauguin's works be removed from museums?

opinion-review · 2026-04-27

An opinion piece by Stefano Piantini on Artribune criticizes calls to remove Paul Gauguin's works from museums due to his relationships with Polynesian teenagers. Piantini argues that such moralism is ignorant and comparable to the actions of Reverend Rogatien-Joseph Martin, who destroyed Gauguin's works after his death in 1903. The article references a New York Times piece by Farah Nayeri titled "It is time Gauguin got cancelled?" and extends the argument to other artists like Balthus, Caravaggio, Egon Schiele, and Picasso, questioning whether their works should also be censored. Piantini condemns the trend as conformist and foolish, citing activist Shaun King's tweet about removing statues of a white Jesus. The piece defends Gauguin as a libertarian hero and critiques the current climate of censorship.

Key facts

  • Paul Gauguin had relationships with Polynesian 14-year-olds.
  • Farah Nayeri wrote a New York Times piece titled 'It is time Gauguin got cancelled?'.
  • Reverend Rogatien-Joseph Martin destroyed Gauguin's works after his death in 1903.
  • Gauguin died poor on Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands.
  • Balthus's painting 'Thérèse Dreaming' at the MET has been subject to removal petitions.
  • Picasso's relationship with Marie-Thérèse Walter, who was 17, is cited.
  • Shaun King tweeted in June 2020 that statues of a white European Jesus should be taken down.
  • The article was published on Artribune by Stefano Piantini.

Entities

Artists

  • Paul Gauguin
  • Balthus
  • Caravaggio
  • Egon Schiele
  • Picasso
  • Leonardo da Vinci
  • Plato
  • Socrates
  • Emperor Hadrian
  • Julius Caesar
  • Jacopo Saltarelli
  • Salaì

Institutions

  • National Gallery of Canada
  • National Gallery of London
  • New York Times
  • The Economist
  • The Wall Street Journal
  • Bloomberg
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Ottawa
  • London
  • Paris
  • Hiva Oa
  • Marquesas Islands
  • New York
  • Florence
  • Sainte-Chapelle
  • Chartres
  • Augsburg

Sources