PAUL CEZANNE
(1839-1906)
In the course of his career Cézanne produced a substantial body of self-portraits dating from his first c.1862-4 onwards. His last self-portrait, Self Portrait in a Beret, 1898-1900 (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) shares strong similarities with this lithograph, most notably in the beret. However, in the print Cézanne looks directly at the viewer, whereas in the painting, he averts his eyes.
This was one of just four lithographs that Cézanne made during his career, which also includes Large Bathers (P.538). It has been suggested that this self-portrait was probably drawn around 1898 but was not printed until c.1900, and was not sold until 1914. The publisher, Vollard, also considered a second colour version which was never printed. Only the light grey 'key' stage using the same drawing as this was made, which was later sold as the second edition.
Copyright © Trustees of Cecil Higgins Art Gallery, Bedford.
Extract taken from Prints, Cecil Higgins Art Gallery .