Self-Portrait with Palette 1890

Editor: Here we have Paul Cézanne's "Self-Portrait with Palette" from 1890, rendered in oil paint. It’s currently held at the E.G. Bührle Foundation in Zürich. It strikes me as intensely focused, almost…stern. What captures your attention in this work? Curator: It's more than just a stern face, isn't it? Look at the colors he chose: those earth tones, the smoldering greens. Cézanne isn't just showing us what he looks like; he's offering a peek into his soul, a glimpse into the artist's inner world. He is painting himself in the act of painting, right? Have you ever thought about what that does to our reading of the work? Editor: I hadn't considered it so directly, but it creates another layer – almost like he's analyzing himself as he paints. A meta-portrait! Do you think he's making a statement about the role of the artist? Curator: Precisely! And more than that, he is questioning reality! We’re seeing how Cézanne grapples with form, with capturing depth. It's not about perfection; it's about the process, the exploration. You almost feel you could step into the painting and touch that palette. Do you see that flicker of light, in his palette and around his face? He plays with perception. Editor: Definitely! And that connects, I think, to his broader influence on later art movements like Cubism. I'm starting to see it less as stern and more as intensely thoughtful now. Curator: Yes! And also: playful! You said it! Isn't it delightful how art continues to shift our perspectives? We see, we rethink, we reinterpret and start anew! Editor: Absolutely. This was a real eye-opener; I'll never look at Cézanne the same way again. Curator: And I’m taking away your notion of the painting as “meta-portrait”, it adds a completely new layer!