Portrait of Joachim 1896

Paul Cézanne painted this portrait of Joachim, rendering the sitter in a somewhat formal dark suit and tie against an ornately patterned wall. Cézanne, living and working in the late 19th century, was a key figure in the transition from Impressionism to Cubism. His sensitivity to his subjects and his use of color, together, create an emotional intensity. The painting of Joachim, who looks away with a slightly downturned mouth, evokes a sense of melancholic introspection. Cézanne's work reflects the changing social structures of his time, a period in which old class divisions were being challenged, but new forms of inequality were also emerging. Joachim, like many of Cézanne's subjects, appears to be caught between worlds. The sensitivity with which Cézanne portrays Joachim invites us to consider the quiet dignity of a man navigating a rapidly changing world.