Uncle Dominique as a Lawyer 1866

Editor: We’re now looking at Paul Cézanne's "Uncle Dominique as a Lawyer," painted around 1866 using oil paints. The portrait's boldness, with its thick application of paint, gives it a kind of restless energy. What strikes you most about this portrait? Curator: What immediately grabs my attention is the painting’s direct challenge to traditional portraiture. Consider the time period. Cézanne isn’t simply trying to capture a likeness, is he? Instead, he seems to be using the figure of his uncle to question the very nature of representation, and, frankly, the socio-political role of lawyers. Do you think he admired his uncle? Editor: That's an interesting question. Maybe the bold brushstrokes suggest an impatience with conventional representation, possibly reflecting a broader societal shift. The pose feels performative in that context. Curator: Precisely. And note how the institutional dress – the lawyer’s hat and robes – seem almost awkwardly placed, fighting against the raw, almost aggressive, application of paint. Is Cézanne commenting on the artifice of legal power? The painting asks us to look at the image, and the role of lawyers, but to look *critically.* Editor: I see that. The impasto and those aggressive brushstrokes certainly don’t convey reverence! Perhaps it's an early commentary on the power structures within society? Curator: Indeed! The Musée d’Orsay provides a space for viewing paintings, but how are we to interpret Cézanne’s view on social dynamics? How did his views influence artists who came after? Editor: I didn’t initially consider the societal implications of this artwork; it's now more interesting when seeing it from that historical and political viewpoint. Curator: Me too. Each viewing provides new lenses.