Head of Silenus

The Head of Silenus is a significant drawing by Paul Cézanne, created sometime within the broad dating range of 1855 and 1906. This powerful sketch, classified as a drawing, captures the classical figure of Silenus, the mythological companion and tutor of Bacchus (Dionysus). The subject, often depicted as a drunken, corpulent old man, provided Cézanne with an opportunity to explore form and expressive features away from the strictures of academic painting, focusing intensely on the rendering of heads.

Cézanne executed this work using black chalk overlaid with brush and light brown wash, a versatile technique that allowed for both sharp delineation and soft, tonal modeling. The chalk provides the initial structural framework for the head, emphasizing its heavy features and full beard, while the application of wash adds necessary depth and shadow. This combination of drawing and watercolor-like treatment demonstrates Cézanne’s early exploration of volume through line and tone, foreshadowing his later revolutionary techniques in defining visual weight. The focus on studies of heads derived from classical sculpture or mythological figures like Silenus was central to the artist’s academic training and continued practice.

The quality and historical breadth of this drawing ensure its place as an important preparatory study within the artist's oeuvre. The work is currently housed in the extensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Because of its institutional holding and age, high-resolution images of this masterwork often circulate in the public domain, allowing museums and researchers globally to create quality fine art prints and reference materials of Cézanne's stylistic development. This piece offers direct insight into the preparatory steps and mythological interests that influenced the Post-Impressionist master.