Heads of Mme Cézanne and Louis-Auguste Cézanne; verso: Corner of a Studio c. 1877 - 1881

Editor: So, this is Paul Cézanne's double-sided sketch, "Heads of Mme Cézanne and Louis-Auguste Cézanne," held at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a pencil drawing, quick, unfinished, but really intimate. What do you make of it? Curator: Intimate is a good word. It's like catching a glimpse of a private moment. See how the lines are searching, almost hesitant? It feels like Cézanne is trying to capture not just their likeness, but something of their essence, their inner lives. What do you think he’s trying to figure out? Editor: Maybe their relationship? The distance between the heads, the different angles… Curator: Exactly! It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Art is like that, a question mark hanging in the air, inviting us to ponder. Editor: I hadn't considered that before. Thanks! Curator: The pleasure is all mine. Looking closely reveals so much more than just what's on the surface, doesn’t it?