Madame Cézanne 1886 - 1887

Paul Cézanne painted this portrait of his wife, Hortense Fiquet, in France, likely sometime in the 1880s or 90s. It's intriguing to consider the social expectations placed on women of the French bourgeoisie during this time and how Cézanne both conformed to and diverged from these norms in his portrayal. The impassive gaze and clasped hands might speak to a certain restraint expected of women, yet the painting's overall lack of idealization challenges conventional portraiture. We can also interpret the painting in terms of the institutional history of modern art. Cézanne's rejection of academic polish, and his interest in the underlying geometric forms of objects, would influence generations of artists who sought to overturn traditional artistic values. Art historians use a range of resources to better understand this painting. Period documents, such as letters and exhibition reviews, shed light on the artistic debates of the time. In the end, art's meaning is never fixed, but always contingent on social and institutional contexts.