Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) may be best known for his landscapes, but he also painted some 160 portraits throughout his exceptional career. This major work establishes portraiture as an essential practice for Cézanne, from his earliest self-portraits in the 1860s; to his famous depictions of figures including his wife Hortense Fiquet, the writer Emile Zola, and the art dealer Ambroise Vollard; and concluding with a poignant series of portraits of his gardener Vallier, made shortly before Cézanne’s death.
Featured essays by leading experts explore the special pictorial and thematic characteristics of Cézanne’s portraits. The authors address the artist’s creation of complementary pairs and multiple versions of the same subject, as well as the role of self-portraiture for Cézanne. They investigate the chronological evolution of his portrait work, with an examination of the changes that occurred within his artistic style and method, and in his understanding of resemblance and identity. They also consider the extent to which particular sitters influenced the characteristics and development of Cézanne’s practice.
Beautifully illustrated with works of art drawn from public and private collections around the world, Cézanne Portraits presents an astonishingly broad range of images that reveal the most personal and human qualities of this remarkable artist.
Published in association with the National Portrait Gallery, London
John Elderfield is chief curator emeritus of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art. His many books include De Kooningand Henri Matisse. He is currently the Allen R. Adler, Class of 1967, Distinguished Curator at the Princeton University Art Museum and lecturer in the Princeton University Department of Art and Archaeology. Mary Morton is curator and head of the Department of French Painting at the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Her books include GustaveCaillebotte. Xavier Rey is director of collections at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris. His books include Degas and the Nude. Jayne S. Warman is a director of the Cézanne online catalogue raisonné. Alex Danchev (1955–2016) was professor of international relations at the University of St. Andrews. His books include Cézanne and The Letters of Paul Cézanne.
"It is in general a special moment to be looking at Cézanne’s portraits, because after a century and more it becomes clear that the famous ‘inexpressiveness’ of his sitters has to do (not wholly, but indubitably) with their situation in a class society. . . . Cézanne Portraits is a great occasion. Not for the first time we owe a debt to John Elderfield. . . . The book that accompanies the exhibition is full of matter."—T.J. Clark, London Review of Books
"To accompany the groundbreaking exhibition of portraits by the Post-Impressionist Paul Cézanne . . . comes this scholarly, handsome volume. Organized by date and subject matter, it contains images of some of his most important work, in a field that’s been largely overlooked, considering his influence on later artists. A chapter with photographs of Cézanne and some of the people most important in his life is a nice touch."—Sarah Bryan Miller, St. Louis Post Dispatch
"The first book to take on Cézanne's portraits as a whole, this very impressive and important volume will be of interest to specialists and nonspecialists alike. It is superbly written and makes a significant contribution to Cézanne scholarship."—Matthew Simms, author of Cézanne's Watercolors
