Paul Cézanne (1839–1906)
Around 1866
Oil paint on canvas
82 x 66 cm
Acquired by Oskar Reinhart in 1938
In his early portraits, Paul Cézanne strove to combine a sense of immediacy with a feeling of structure and monumentality. Here, Cézanne depicts his maternal uncle, Dominique Aubert, using blocky strokes of paint applied with a palette knife. The paint stands proud of the canvas, calling attention to its own material qualities. This distinctive technique and the dramatic lighting give the figure great solidity and presence.
Although Cézanne seldom exhibited his early portraits, they were much admired by his fellow artists, including Claude Monet, who was this painting’s first owner.