2023-12-06 11:56:00
Paul Gauguin is world famous but in Orléans (Loiret), very few know that the artist spent part of his childhood in this city where his paternal family was from. The future painter lived there for nine years, from 1855. He settled at 25 Prague quay – at the time Tudelle quay – in the house left to him by his grandfather. He was seven years old at the time and had just returned from Peru where he had lived with his mother and sister following the death of his father.
To make this part of the artist’s life known, the president of the society of Orléans artists, Benoît Gayet, who lives not far from there, asked the Saint-Marceau neighborhood committee to have a plaque placed on this House. The city responded positively, the project goes to the municipal council this week and the inauguration is planned for the end of December.
A historical error corrected
“There was an important anchoring of Gauguin in Orléans, it was not normal that the city did not reappropriate this artist”, underlines Benoît Gayet, who recalls that the painter was a student at the minor seminary for three years in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, in the urban area of Orléans, then spent a year at the imperial high school, rue Jeanne-d’Arc.
This late recognition will at the same time make it possible to reestablish historical truth. Because there already exists a plaque in the name of the artist, at 7, rue Tudelle, a nearby place where no Gauguin ever resided… The mistake, the origin of which is unknown – perhaps an error on Gauguin’s part – the same person who had sent his uncle a letter to “7, rue Endelle” – was brought to light regarding ten years ago by a historian, Christian Jamet, who did extensive research in the archives and brought the proof that it was indeed at 25 Prague quay that the artist had lived.
The current owners of this house have known this for a long time since it appears in the notarial deed of their home, which they purchased almost 35 years ago. “We’ve been saying it for years but no one wanted to believe us,” smiles the owner who says she is “very happy” with this recognition.
The old plate will nevertheless remain in its place, so you will need to be well informed to know what the authentic address is! There will, however, be a clue, since the path along the Loire, just in front of the “real” house, will be named Promenade Paul Gauguin…
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