The artwork “Peasant in a Straw Hat” is a fine example of Paul Cézanne’s work from 1906. Executed in watercolor on paper, it is associated with the Post-Impressionism art movement and falls within the portrait genre. This artwork is part of the collection at the Art Institute of Chicago, located in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
In the artwork, one observes a figure, presumably a peasant, seated and wearing a straw hat. The loose watercolor technique allows for a sense of immediacy and movement, typical of Cézanne’s approach during this period. The colors are gentle, portraying the textures of the hat, clothing, and the environment in harmonious blues, greens, and whites. The composition is balanced yet dynamic, with the peasant as a central anchor amidst the fluidity of the surrounding brushstrokes. Light and shadow are suggested more through color and line than definitive contrast, creating a softly modeled effect on the subject’s features and attire. The overall impression is one of a moment captured in time, a fleeting glimpse into the life of a rural individual, rendered with the artist’s characteristic sensitivity and structural understanding.
