Artwork
Pierre Mac Orlan
Pierre Mac Orlan is an oil painting by the Realist artist Jules Pascin. It dates from 1924 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The artwork functions as a representation of the sitter's persona, capturing him in a moment of leisure or performance rather than a formal, static pose.
The painting depicts the French writer Pierre Mac Orlan as a seated male figure engaged in the act of smoking while holding an accordion. As a portrait genre work, the iconography centers on the subject's personal attributes, specifically his association with the musical instrument and the cigarette, which serve as defining visual markers of his identity within the composition. The artwork functions as a representation of the sitter's persona, capturing him in a moment of leisure or performance rather than a formal, static pose.
These specific elements, the man, the smoking habit, and the accordion, are the primary subjects that convey the meaning of the piece, illustrating Mac Orlan's character through the lens of Jules Pascin's portraiture style.
Technique & Style
Pierre Mac Orlan is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for Pascin's portrait practice of the 1920s. The work measures 92.1 by 73 centimeters, an upright rectangular format that suits the sitter's seated, contemplative pose. The composition centers on the figure of a man smoking and playing an accordion, with the artist handling these attributes as defining formal elements of the portrait.
Stylistically, the painting reflects Pascin's characteristic approach to portraiture through direct, unidealized observation of the subject, employing the tonal and textural range typical of oil handling in this period. The canvas support and oil medium allow for the layered, fluid brushwork associated with Pascin's figural work. The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Pierre Mac Orlan is an oil‑on‑canvas portrait painted in 1924 by Jules Pascin. The work, classified as a portrait, measures 92.1 × 73 cm and depicts a man holding an accordion while smoking. It was created as part of Pascin’s series of figurative studies and reflects his interest in theatrical, elongated forms.
The painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been exhibited since its acquisition. Its provenance is limited to the museum’s records, which note its acquisition and current display.
Pierre Mac Orlan (1924) is an oil on canvas portrait by French artist Jules Pascin, classified as a painting and portrait work. The piece is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is catalogued as part of the museum’s holdings, though an explicit accession number is not listed in the available records. No exhibition history is documented in the provided sources. The work remains accessible to the public through the museum’s online collection.
Overview
The painting titled Pierre Mac Orlan presents a seated male figure rendered in oil. The subject is depicted holding an accordion and smoking a cigarette, his posture suggesting a moment of quiet introspection. The artist employs a subdued palette and a focused composition to convey a contemplative mood, inviting viewers to consider the individual's engagement with his music and surroundings.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Julius Mordecai Pincas (March 31, 1885 – June 2, 1930), known as Pascin (French: erroneously or ), Jules Pascin, also known as the "Prince of Montparnasse", was a Bulgarian artist of the School of Paris, known for his paintings and…
