Introduction to the Exhibition—Cézanne Portraits

Mary Morton, curator and head, department of French paintings, National Gallery of Art. Bringing together some 60 paintings drawn from collections around the world, Cézanne Portraits is the first exhibition devoted exclusively to this often neglected area of Paul Cézanne’s work. To celebrate the exhibition opening on March 25, 2018, Mary Morton introduces the pictorial and thematic characteristics of Cézanne’s portraits, the chronological development of his style and method, and the range and influence of his sitters. Issues of resemblance and identity are addressed across groupings of particular great portraits, which mutually inform each other to reveal arguably the most personal, because most human, aspect of his art. The sole American venue, Cézanne Portraits is on view on through July 1, 2018.