Portrait of Ambroise Vollard 1899

Curator: Here we have Paul Cézanne’s "Portrait of Ambroise Vollard," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: There’s something so vulnerable about this drawing—the subject seems caught in a moment of pensive uncertainty. Curator: Absolutely, and the sketch-like quality reveals a stage in the creative process we rarely see. Vollard, of course, was a highly influential art dealer who championed Cézanne. Editor: He looks almost unfinished, like a thought still forming—it's touching. Curator: The lack of sharp detail almost democratizes the image. Anyone could be captured in this way, no matter the subject's station. Editor: Yes, the raw simplicity helps me connect. It feels like a glimpse into the soul, unfinished yet complete. Curator: Indeed, it prompts us to consider the relationship between artist, subject, and the evolving narratives within art history. Editor: It reminds us that even the most powerful figures are, at their core, simply human.