Portrait of Cezanne

The Portrait of Cezanne by Pierre Auguste Renoir French, 1841-1919, is a significant late-period graphic work created between 1897 and 1907. Classified as a print, this piece utilizes the lithograph technique, meticulously executed on grayish ivory wove paper. This choice of medium allowed Renoir to capture the likeness of his friend and fellow Post-Impressionist master, Paul Cézanne, with a rich tonal quality characteristic of the process.

The creation of this work falls near the end of Renoir’s extensive career, documenting his long-standing professional and personal connection to Cézanne, two central figures in the development of modern art in France. Although Renoir is primarily known for his lush oil paintings and focus on figures, this lithograph demonstrates his facility with printmaking, an area he explored significantly in the late 1890s. The piece captures Cézanne in profile, emphasizing the structural gravity and intensity often associated with the subject's personality.

This exceptional example of Renoir’s late output is housed in the esteemed collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The detailed lithographic prints produced during this era offer valuable insight into the artist's private circle and his deep respect for his contemporaries. As this historic artwork resides in a major institutional collection and is considered to be in the public domain, high-quality images and fine art prints become widely accessible for study and appreciation, solidifying Renoir's legacy not just as a painter but also as a skilled graphic artist.