Artwork
Boy in a Red Waistcoat
Boy in a Red Waistcoat is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Paul Cézanne. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. Its dimensions are approximately 89.5 cm in height and 72.4 cm in width. The work is classified as a portrait depicting a boy.
The available sources do not elaborate on Cézanne's handling, the painting's condition, or specific formal qualities such as brushwork, colour handling, or compositional structure beyond these basic facts.
History & Provenance
After Goldschmidt's death in 1955, it appeared at the Goldschmidt sale held by Sotheby's in London on 15 October 1958 (lot 6).
Boy in a Red Waistcoat was painted by Paul Cézanne in 1889 in oil on canvas. The painting's early provenance traces through the Parisian dealer Ambroise Vollard, who sold it in 1896 to Egisto Fabbri of Paris and Florence, who retained it until at least 1925. According to John Rewald's catalogue raisonné, Fabbri briefly returned the work to Vollard in 1904 before repurchasing it; Fabbri also lent it to a 1925 Paris exhibition.
The picture subsequently passed through Paul Rosenberg and Wildenstein Galleries in Paris, before being sold in 1929 to Jakob Goldschmidt of Berlin and New York. After Goldschmidt's death in 1955, it appeared at the Goldschmidt sale held by Sotheby's in London on 15 October 1958 (lot 6). The Carstairs Gallery in New York acquired it there on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia, who in 1995 gave the painting to the National Gallery of Art. Its accession number is 1995.46.1.
Legacy
Later scholarship has highlighted the portrait's role in shaping Cézanne's reputation as a master of portraiture. The work appeared in the 1925 Paris exhibition, lent by Egisto Fabbri, drawing critical attention to Cézanne's late portraiture. Its inclusion in the National Gallery of Art's collection has made it a touchstone for studies of the artist's development.
Measuring 89.5 × 72.4 cm, the oil on canvas continues to be cited in exhibitions and publications that trace Cézanne's influence on modern portraiture.
Overview
"Boy in a Red Waistcoat" is an oil on canvas painting created by Paul Cézanne in 1889. This portrait depicts a young boy seated, directly engaging the viewer with his gaze. The artwork exemplifies Cézanne's approach to figural representation, focusing on the subject's presence rather than elaborate narrative or setting. It is a key example of his work during a period of significant artistic development.
Subject & Meaning
The painting centers on a young boy, prominently positioned and clad in a distinctive red waistcoat. Seated in a chair, he faces forward, his calm expression and direct gaze drawing the viewer's attention. Cézanne deliberately isolates the figure, making the boy the sole focal point of the composition. This directness emphasizes the subject's individual presence, inviting contemplation of his quiet demeanor.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Paul Cézanne ( say-ZAN, UK also siz-AN, US also say-ZAHN; French: ; Occitan: Pau Cesana; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation,…
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