Early Life and Family Background Born in Paris in 1848, Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin entered a world of shifting social and political currents. His early years were defined by a sudden departure from the French capital; in 1850, his family relocated to Lima, Peru. This move was driven by his mother’s connections, as she was descended from the Peruvian aristocracy. Such a lineage provided a sense of privilege during his formative years, though the stability of this existence was often precarious. The boy spent his childhood in Peru until the age of six, a period that left an indelible mark on h…