Self-Portrait 1880

This is an undated Self-Portrait by Paul Cézanne, a French artist active in the late 19th century. Cézanne lived in a time of great social and artistic change, as France moved from monarchy to republic and as artistic styles shifted from realism to impressionism and beyond. Cézanne's gaze is direct, challenging us to meet his eye. The rough brushstrokes and earthy tones give the portrait a raw, unfinished quality, as if he's presenting himself without pretense. His identity as an artist was hard-won, often facing rejection from the established art world. In a letter, he wrote of his determination to "wrest art from the hands of those who don't understand it." The painting invites us to reflect on the complexities of self-perception and the courage it takes to defy expectations. In rendering himself, Cézanne seems to ask us: How do we see ourselves, and how do we want to be seen?