Born in Paris, Gauguin spent time as a youth in Peru and at sea. In 1871 he became a stockbroker. In 1874 Gauguin's life changed when he met Pissarro and saw the First Impressionist Exhibition, which inspired him to become a sculptor and a painter. Gauguin participated in the last three Impressionist exhibits.
In 1891 Gauguin traveled to Tahiti. Despite constant poverty, he painted his finest pictures there. Yearning for the simple life of nature, he endeavored to "go native," idealizing the primitive and disdaining civilization in his work and life. He was one of the first to find inspiration in the arts of primitive and ancient peoples.
