▁extreme ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁" mod ern ▁artist ▁as ▁' gen ius ' ", ▁ind ifferent ▁and ▁frequently ▁host ile ▁to ▁the ▁people ▁around ▁him . ▁ ▁Writing ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁M aug ham ▁describes ▁the ▁idea ▁for ▁the ▁book ▁ar ising ▁during ▁a ▁year ▁that ▁he ▁spent ▁living ▁in ▁Paris ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 4 : ▁"... I ▁met ▁men ▁who ▁had ▁known ▁him ▁and ▁worked ▁with ▁him ▁at ▁Pont - A ven . ▁I ▁heard ▁much ▁about ▁him . ▁It ▁occurred ▁to ▁me ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁in ▁what ▁I ▁was ▁told ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁a ▁novel ". ▁The ▁idea ▁remained ▁in ▁his ▁mind ▁for ▁ten ▁years , ▁until ▁a ▁visit ▁to ▁T ah iti ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁where ▁M aug ham ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁meet ▁people ▁who ▁had ▁known ▁G au gu in , ▁inspired ▁him ▁to ▁start ▁writing . ▁ ▁The ▁critic ▁Amy ▁Dick son ▁exam ines ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁G au gu in ▁and ▁Str ick land . ▁She ▁contrast s ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁description ▁of ▁Str ick land , ▁" his ▁fault s ▁are ▁accepted ▁as ▁the ▁necessary ▁complement ▁of ▁his ▁mer its ... ▁but ▁one ▁thing ▁can ▁never ▁be ▁doubt ful , ▁and ▁that ▁is ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁genius ," ▁with ▁G au gu in ' s ▁description ▁of ▁himself , ▁" I ▁am ▁an ▁artist ▁and ▁you ▁are ▁right , ▁you ' re ▁not ▁mad , ▁I ▁am ▁a ▁great ▁artist ▁and ▁I ▁know ▁it .