In search of... Gauguin in Brittany

Chris Coplans discovers an artist whose character was as colourful as his paintings

That's odd. I associate Gauguin's paintings with Tahiti, not France.

As do most of us, but it was to Brittany that Gauguin first came in search of the "savage spirit", long before his quest for paradise took him to the South Seas. "I love Brittany," the artist wrote to a friend in 1888. "There is something wild and primitive about it. When my wooden clogs strike this granite ground, I hear the muffled, dull, powerful tone I seek in my painting." This year is the centenary of Gauguin's death, and Brittany is paying tribute.

Where does the tourist trail begin in Brittany?

Pont-Aven. By the time Gauguin arrived in 1885, the quaint, staunchly Breton community was already an artists' colony; specific pensions catered to artists of different nationalities. Gauguin went to stay in the predominantly French-patronized Gloanec Inn.

Was the clog-wearing maestro happy in Brittany?

He quickly established himself as the alpha male of the aesthetic tribe and seemed to revel in his reputation as a ladies' man. Writing to his long-suffering wife, Mette, he noted: "I take psychological satisfaction in ruling the roost here in Pont-Aven. All the artists fear me and like me. Not a single one resists my convictions." The Bretons, however, were not overly impressed by his behaviour.

Would Pont-Aven be worth visiting if it weren't for Gauguin?

Definitely. Locals would describe the town as "14 mills, 15 houses". With its tiny, cobbled lanes, granite houses and the sound of rushing water everywhere, Pont-Aven still has a 19th-century feel about it. Sitting in one of the cafés overlooking Le River Aven and the last working watermill, it is easy to see why Gauguin was seduced by its charms.

Are there any of Gauguin's works left in Pont Aven?

Yes. The Musée de Pont-Aven (00 33 02 98 06 14 43) has three of his paintings on permanent display and this year will hold an exhibition of the Pont-Aven school which includes seven Gauguins, from 28 June to 29 September.

Are there any other Gauguin sights in Pont-Aven?

Just a short schlep through the woods is the chapel at Trémalo, the inspiration for one of Gauguin's most famous paintings, The Yellow Christ. High up on a wall hangs a carved crucifix. It is brown, not yellow, but immediately recognisable from the painting. Gauguin used a mirror image of the painting in a self-portrait.

Can I sleep in Gauguin's bed?

The Gloanec Inn is now a newsagent's, but you can stay at the Hôtel Les Ajoncs D'Or, in Pont-Aven's main square, unmistakable with its with bright blue shuttered windows (00 33 2 98 06 02 06). Here Gauguin spent nearly four months recuperating after his "broken leg" incident. The €16 (£10) menu is the equal of many Parisian restaurants.

What "broken leg" incident?

Gauguin had developed a penchant for dark-skinned women long before he moved to the South Pacific; one of the most memorable was a young, mixed-race woman whom he met in Paris, known as Annah "la Javanaise". Prone to walking round Brittany with her pet monkey on her shoulder, Annah became a figure of mirth among children. After drinking in nearby Concarneau, Gauguin got into a fight with some sailors after they insulted Annah, resulting in his leg being broken.

Was Annah grateful for Gauguin attempting to protect her honour?

Well if she was, she had a strange way of showing it. She upped and left Gauguin while he was nursing his injuries in Les Ajoncs D'Or, and returned to Paris where she ransacked his studio and made off with the goodies. However, she did sit for a striking Gauguin masterpiece; naked, but regal, on a high-backed Chinese chair, with the offending monkey at her feet. The title of the painting, which is in a private collection, translates as "Child-Woman Judith is not yet Breached". It is known more simply as "Annah La Javanaise" (1893-94).

Did he get bored with Pont-Aven?

In an era when France and the US still enjoyed good relations, the air became so thick with American artists that they held regular baseball matches against their compatriots based in Concarneau. Rightly sensing that Pont-Aven was losing its "sauvage" edge, Gauguin decamped to the nearby seaside village of Le Pouldu. Isolated by the river Laita and huge dunes, it provided the primitive life of which Gauguin had dreamt. He stayed at Marie Henry's Inn, "La Buvette de la Plage", surrounded by painters such as Sérusier, Emile Bernard, Filiger and Seguin.

Is the Inn still standing?

Sort of – it has been lovingly recreated just 10 metres from where the original stood, using a house from the period.

Isn't it just another place cashing in on the Gauguin connection?

No. It's not just that Gauguin stayed here, but what he did here that makes it unique. In the artists' dining room, frescoes and murals adorn every surface including the windows. The band of aesthetes "decorated" the room, which eventually contained 13 works by Gauguin (one of which was the ceiling).

Did Gauguin settle his bill here?

When he left the Inn in 1890 he gave all his paintings and his clogs to Marie Henry to pay his debts. He later sued her, unsuccessfully, for their return. Gauguin left for good in 1895 to begin his "exile to savagery" in Tahiti. He died on 8 May 1903.

Do I have to take a long channel crossing to get to Brittany?

No. British Airways (0845 7733377; www.ba.com) flies to Nantes, with return prices starting from around £80. Once there you can rent a car from Holiday Autos (0870-400 0010; www.holiday autos.co.uk) from £130 per week, for the two-hour drive to Pont-Aven.

What if I then want to see more of Gauguin's paintings?

Get back in the car and head 30 miles north along the coast to Quimper, described as "the soul of Brittany". Opposite the stunning, twin-spire, 13th-century cathedral is the Musée des Beaux-Arts, where the largest of this year's Gauguin exhibitions will run from 12 July to 30 September 2003. (00 33 02 98 95 45 20; www.muse-beauxarts.quimper.fr and www.gauguin-2003.com).