The aim of this study is to examine, through an analytical–interpretive method, the artist novel elements in W.Somerset Maugham’s novel by analyzing Charles Strickland’s characterization in light of Bildung and self realization from a Hegelian perspective, particularly as articulated in the Phenomenology of Spirit.The study also compares these elements with the historical figure of Paul Gauguin.The research questions focus on: identifying the meanings and stages of Hegel’s philosophy of Bildung;explaining how a real artistic personality can, through these stages, be transformed into a literary character functioning narratively;and determining which constitutive features of the Künstlerroman emerge from the painter’s self realization. The findings show that, within a Hegelian framework, Strickland’s self realization is not merely inward discovery but a dialectical process involving development, conflict,alienation, and reconciliation through which immediacy is overcome and freedom attained. His path begins with the negation of bourgeois life and the transition from subjective to objective spirit, marking the beginning of Bildung.This is followed by a rupture with objective spirit expressed in his conflict with social conventions. His passion for artistic creation then consolidates his individual consciousness and aesthetic identity.Through his outward journey, this process reaches realization in the objective world. Finally, at the stage where art approaches the horizon of Absolute Spirit, the artist’s inner life finds its fullest expression.Differences between Strickland and Gauguin reflect the demands of literary narration.Self realization appears not only internally but through actions, relationships, ruptures, and choices, and the unfolding of these five stages confirms the novel’s structure as a Künstlerroman.