Travel into the vivid and often provocative world of Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), the Post-Impressionist painter whose bold color, simplified forms, and symbolic imagery helped reshape modern art. This pocket guide examines his unconventional life and artistic journey, from his beginnings in France to his years in Brittany and the Pacific. Learn what to look for in Gauguin's flattened spaces, expressive outlines, dreamlike narratives, and intensely colored scenes, while considering the personal ambitions and cultural contradictions that shaped his work. Biographical details, revealing anecdotes, memorable quotations, and a personal portrait provide context for both his achievements and his complicated legacy. A spotlight on one of his defining masterpieces explores the ideas, symbols, and visual strategies that made his art so influential. With more than 65 full-color reproductions, this volume offers a thoughtful introduction to a restless artist whose vision opened new paths for twentieth-century painting.