“Pastry Cook with Red Handkerchief” is an oil-on-canvas portrait by Chaim Soutine, created circa 1922 to 1923. This Expressionist work is housed at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris, France.
The artwork features a pastry cook, depicted with exaggerated and distorted features, characteristic of the Expressionist movement. The figure is seated, wearing a traditional white chef’s coat and hat, with a red handkerchief prominently displayed in his hands. The background employs a subdued palette with a rough, textured application of paint, which draws further attention to the central figure. Soutine’s vigorous brushstrokes and emotive color choices contribute to the intense and somewhat melancholic atmosphere of the portrait.
