Cheetham Reading Assignment - Coursework Example

Answer The four terms that encapsulate Gauguin’s iconoclastic theory of art are: shackled, memory, pure, and Answer 2 The shackled prisoner, Jean Valjean, signals Gauguin’s incipient break with the impressionism. Gauguin chides the impressionists as they heed only the eyes and neglect the mysterious centers of thought.Answer 3 The method of recollection and memory was systematic and absolute because memory was the essential faculty that gave access to the truth which could not be accessed through senses.

Answer 4 Gauguin heeds the advice for neoplatonism as he uses the metaphors of eyes and vision that can look inward to soul are used to capture the highest reality which only the soul can see.Answer 5 Gauguin applied the process of aesthetic purification by using pure unmixed color that is far from nature. He used Pure color like yellow in the background to emphasize the purity of the painted object.Answer 6 Cheetham argues against recent criticism of Gauguin’s writings as viable theories mainly because as an artist, his key priority was to express the inner thoughts.

Cheetham suggests that Emanuel Swedenborg influenced Gauguin’s inspirations outright.Answer 7 Gauguin likely came across Swedenborg’s writings through two novels of Balzac: Louis Lambert and Sera-phita. He mentions these novels immediately after he cites Swedenborg in his book, Cashier.Answer 8 Schopenhauer’s analyses Gauguin’s achievement as genius, madness and memory. He elaborates and defines genius as the capacity to remain in a state of pure perception which could be blended with madness as his genius defies social norms.

Lastly the madness connects to the memory as it focuses on the platonic ideas which are seen through the mirrors of inner thoughts.Answer 9 Schopenhauers purely neoplatonic theory perfectly describes the “disjunctions” found in so many of Gauguin’s paintings as he tends to interpret the things in terms of ‘higher meaning and distort nature. He laments that he derives meanings from the inner thoughts and not materialistic world.Answer 10 Aurier’s reference to “pure” Ideas the touchstone for the neoplatonic foundation of Gauguin’s abstract art as the memories confront the artists with the ultimate reality.

The neoplatonic philosophy in late nineteenth century France was popular as it offered metaphysical security which helped artists to escape from the harsh realities of the world.Work CitedCheetham, Mark A. ‘Mystical Memories: Gauguins Neoplatonism and "Abstraction" in Late-Nineteenth-CenturyFrench Painting.’ Art Journal, 4.1 (Spring 1987): 15-21.