1899, Paul Cezanne, Man with Crossed Arms -- National Gallery of Art (Washington) (special exhibition)
From the exhibition label: Cézanne’s son referred to this sitter from Aix as “the clock maker.” Certainly his necktie (here barely suggested but prominent in another portrait of the man), waistcoat, and long hair are more in keeping with an artisan than the rougher appearance of local peasants. The mystery of this painting extends beyond the man’s identity, however, to the melancholic gaze of his oddly angled face, the strange treatment of his disjointed left hand and sleeve, and the truncation of his right hand to a thumb. The man’s expression and sideways glance, together with the emphatic gesture of his crossed arms and the painting’s muddied tones, convey a moodiness that sets the portrait apart.
1899, Paul Cezanne, Man with Crossed Arms -- National Gallery of Art (Washington) (special exhibition)
From the exhibition label: Cézanne’s son referred to this sitter from Aix as “the clock maker.” Certainly his necktie (here barely suggested but prominent in another portrait of the man), waistcoat, and long hair are more in keeping with an artisan than the rougher appearance of local peasants. The mystery of this painting extends beyond the man’s identity, however, to the melancholic gaze of his oddly angled face, the strange treatment of his disjointed left hand and sleeve, and the truncation of his right hand to a thumb. The man’s expression and sideways glance, together with the emphatic gesture of his crossed arms and the painting’s muddied tones, convey a moodiness that sets the portrait apart.