▣ Paul Gauguin (French, 1848-1903)
Gauguin thought that artists had creative abilities on par with God. And he was proud of his own originality, which was differentiated from impressionism. However, he was suffering from critics and the public who did not understand his artistry. The driving force behind continuing his own art world in this pain was his pride as an artist and his attitude of self-respect. His self-portraits show his attitude toward himself as an artist.