The Card Players 1892

Paul Cézanne painted The Card Players in France, and though the date is not known, it was sometime in the 1890s. The painting is one of a series that depicts peasants playing cards in a dimly lit room. The painting is a commentary on the social and economic conditions of rural France. Cézanne was interested in depicting the lives of ordinary people, and his paintings often show them engaged in simple, everyday activities. In this image the card players are so immersed in their game that we can tell it is how they pass the hours when not working. The serious expressions on their faces suggest that the game is not just for fun, but also for money or status. Cézanne's style was also radical for its time. He used bold brushstrokes and simplified forms to create a sense of depth and solidity. He challenged the traditional conventions of academic painting. Art historians use a range of research resources to understand the work of artists like Cézanne. These sources include letters, diaries, and other documents, as well as the paintings themselves. By studying these materials, we can learn about the social and cultural contexts in which art is made, and better understand its meaning.