Portrait of Victor Chocquet 1877

Paul Cézanne painted this portrait of Victor Chocquet using oil on canvas. Notice the structure of the composition. Cézanne’s brushstrokes are deliberately visible, building the form through layers of color. The angular brushstrokes create a sense of volume, yet also flatten the image. This technique disrupts traditional perspective, challenging the viewer’s perception of depth. The color palette, dominated by earthy tones, is punctuated by blues and whites which creates a tension between the subject and the background. Cézanne’s approach destabilizes the conventional portrait, moving away from mere representation toward an exploration of form and structure. Through his application of paint, Cézanne invites us to reconsider the very nature of seeing, and to recognize that art is not a reflection of reality, but an interpretation of it.