Paul Cézanne Portrait de Cézanne par lui-même, c. 1898, a remarkable self-portrait, captures the artist's image of himself. Cézanne sits in front of an easel, gazing to the side of his canvas to meet the eye of the viewer. He wears a heavy coat and cap. Perhaps this is how Cézanne drew himself – looking into a mirror and depicting the image of himself drawing. He did not necessarily need to be looking in a mirror to depict himself, and could have chosen a myriad of other poses or scenarios. Instead he chose very deliberately to show himself as an artist. This says a lot about how he perceived himself as a person and as an artist.

Cézanne plays with light in this portrait, which comes from the upper left register. The easel casts a shadow onto the lower torso of the painter, as does his cap upon his forehead. Cézanne lightens his touch upon the paper as look up towards his face and meet his intense eyes with furrowed brow.

Created circa 1898, this lithograph printed in gray on cream laid paper with an Arches Ingres MBM watermark is from the edition of approximately 100; printed by Augustus Clot, Paris.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Paul Cézanne Portrait de Cézanne par lui-même, c. 1898 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work).

1. Cherpin, J. L’œuvre gravé de Cézanne. Marseille: Arts et Livres de Provence, 1972. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 8 on pg. 61.

2. Rubin, William (ed). Cézanne: The Late Work. Museum of Modern Art: New York, 1977. Listed and illustrated on pages 123-124, and discussed in an essay titled Cézanne’s Lithographs by Douglous Druick, pgs 119-149.

3. Venturi, Lionello. Cézanne: Son art – son oeuvre, catalogue raisonné II Planches. Alan Wofsy Fine Arts: San Francisco, 1989. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 1158.

4. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:

Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Paul Cézanne Portrait de Cézanne par lui-même, c. 1898 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.