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Lot Essay
The recto of this sheet was page XVII from the sketchbook CP II.
Of the twenty-four self-portraits Cézanne executed on paper, only sixteen of those were completed as independent, stand-alone portraits; the others are found integrated among sketches of family members, still lifes and bathers such as those found in the carnets (see lots 330-332). Originally page XVII from the sketchbook CP II, the present work was drawn circa 1882-1883 - a time of enormous introspection for the artist.
The Romantic movement in the early 19th century left as part of its powerful, lingering influence a strong interest in exploring the self. As the concept of the avant-garde began to emerge at mid-century, progressive artists began to understand the creative personality as a subjective force whose motivation and impact were increasingly determined by the degree to which it acted in contention with the tastes and mores of society at large.
As literary circles turned inward toward Symbolist rhetoric, so too did artistic ones, and both groups may be seen to have adopted many of their leading principles, including the cultivation of the unconscious and conscious self. Self-portraiture, hitherto only an occasional genre, thus acquired greater significance within avant-garde circles as a private statement of this pioneering act of self-definition.
While the commonly held view of Cézanne's character is one of difficulty - a man living in obscurity, avoiding contact with the world, and subject to erratic mood swings - in the present work there is a vulnerability present. Taking a hardly-perceptable three-quarter turn with his chin poised at a slight downturn, Cézanne's gaze toward us is of a gentle nature, if somewhat questioning. In place of a cocked right brow - so common in his painted and drawn self-portraits - here it is softened to a rounded arch with a glint of mischief still remaining. The dishevelled collar tells us we are privy to a view of a fleeting moment, perhaps at the end of a long day - a spontaneous portrait of an unguarded view.
Of the twenty-four self-portraits Cézanne executed on paper, only sixteen of those were completed as independent, stand-alone portraits; the others are found integrated among sketches of family members, still lifes and bathers such as those found in the carnets (see lots 330-332). Originally page XVII from the sketchbook CP II, the present work was drawn circa 1882-1883 - a time of enormous introspection for the artist.
The Romantic movement in the early 19th century left as part of its powerful, lingering influence a strong interest in exploring the self. As the concept of the avant-garde began to emerge at mid-century, progressive artists began to understand the creative personality as a subjective force whose motivation and impact were increasingly determined by the degree to which it acted in contention with the tastes and mores of society at large.
As literary circles turned inward toward Symbolist rhetoric, so too did artistic ones, and both groups may be seen to have adopted many of their leading principles, including the cultivation of the unconscious and conscious self. Self-portraiture, hitherto only an occasional genre, thus acquired greater significance within avant-garde circles as a private statement of this pioneering act of self-definition.
While the commonly held view of Cézanne's character is one of difficulty - a man living in obscurity, avoiding contact with the world, and subject to erratic mood swings - in the present work there is a vulnerability present. Taking a hardly-perceptable three-quarter turn with his chin poised at a slight downturn, Cézanne's gaze toward us is of a gentle nature, if somewhat questioning. In place of a cocked right brow - so common in his painted and drawn self-portraits - here it is softened to a rounded arch with a glint of mischief still remaining. The dishevelled collar tells us we are privy to a view of a fleeting moment, perhaps at the end of a long day - a spontaneous portrait of an unguarded view.