Paul Cézanne: Self-portrait (1880-81)

Paul Cézanne Self-portrait -

St Petersburg, Hermitage

 

This self-portrait, unlike the others, was painted without the use of a mirror. In this painting, Cézanne made a variation of the portrait of himself done by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. [Pierre Auguste Renoir: Portrait of Cézanne, 1880 - Art Institute of Chicago]

While preserving the dimensions and composition of Renoir's pastel, Cézanne infused it with a different, more severe spirit. It lacks the rose tones that define the colour scheme of the pastel, using in their place a more prosaic bright ochre. Instead of the soft touches of the pastel chalks that create a homogenized surface, here there are broken, energetic brushstrokes whose dynamic is reinforced by their diagonal direction. Instead of the separate strands of hair in the pastel, there is a dense mass of colour. While Renoir's portrayal is mild, Cézanne's version is harsh and withdrawn.

Please compare:

www.flickr.com/photos/28433765@N07/4178239741/

 

catalogue raisonné:

www.cezannecatalogue.com/

Done