Artwork
Madame Cezanne in a Yellow Chair
Madame Cezanne in a Yellow Chair is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Paul Cézanne. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
- Accession no.
- 62371
- Credit line
- Wilson L. Mead Fund
About this work
Overview
Madame Cezanne in a Yellow Chair is an oil-on-canvas portrait by Paul Cezanne, depicting his wife, Emélie-Hortense Fiquet, seated in a yellow chair, wearing a red dress.
Subject & Meaning
The painting is one of four portraits Cezanne made of his wife, whom he met when she was an artist's model. Their relationship was complex, and the portrait captures a moment of tension, reflected in Hortense's serious expression and agitated hands.
Technique & Style
Cezanne employed a range of techniques, including impasto and visible underdrawing, to convey the subject's emotional state. The dark-blue outlines and crisscrossing brushstrokes around Hortense's hands create a sense of agitation, contrasting with her masklike face.
History & Provenance
The portrait was likely traced from a earlier, life-study portrait, as suggested by technical examination. Cezanne and Hortense had a son together in 1872 and married in 1886, the year after which this portrait is believed to have been made.
Own this work as a print
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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