A recent claim by researcher Fabrice Fourmanoir suggests that Gauguin's final self-portrait, held by Kunstmuseum Basel, is a forgery dated 1916, 13 years after the artist's death. The authenticated work, bequeathed to the museum in 1945, has influenced perceptions of Gauguin as frail and vulnerable. The museum is taking this claim seriously and is conducting an examination to verify the painting's authenticity, with results expected in July. This claim adds a significant twist to Gauguin's legacy and the history of the artwork, which has been widely accepted until now.
Fourmanoir, a Gauguin researcher who now lives in Mexico, takes a very different view. He dates the work to 1916, 13 years after Gauguin's death, and believes it was painted by Ky-Dong Nguyen Van Cam (1875-1929), a Vietnamese friend of the French artist on the Marquesan island of Hiva Oa.
The museum's Self-portrait was bequeathed to the museum in 1945. The Basel painting is particularly significant, since it has determined how we perceive Gauguin in his final year.
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