Ernest Cassel 1886

Anders Zorn captured Ernest Cassel with oil on canvas. Zorn, who painted portraits of presidents and royalty, depicts Cassel, a wealthy international financier and advisor to the British crown, in an intimate domestic tableau. The painting provides a glimpse into the lifestyle of the European elite during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Here, Cassel is portrayed not as a titan of industry but as a man of leisure, cigar in hand, surrounded by the accoutrements of a comfortable existence. The composition subtly reinforces the idea of wealth and status, as the viewer is invited into Cassel's private world. As an artist, Zorn navigated the complex social and political landscape of his time. His work offers insight into the lives of the powerful, while revealing the visual culture of an era marked by rapid industrialization, colonial expansion, and shifting social hierarchies. This portrait then, is more than an image of one man, it is a reflection on the nature of wealth, power, and representation in the modern age.