The artwork titled “The Negro Scipio” is a creation of Paul Cézanne, dated to the year 1867. Utilizing oil on canvas as his medium, Cézanne completed this portrait as part of the Romanticism movement. The artwork measures 107 by 103 centimeters, offering a substantive canvas for the artist to establish his vision. As a genre, it is categorized as a portrait, which is a traditional form of artwork capturing the likeness or essence of an individual or group.
The artwork presents a figure, presumed to be the subject Scipio, in a seated position on a stool. The person’s posture is somewhat slumped, evoking a sense of weariness or contemplation, as they rest their head on one hand, elbow propped against what appears to be a draped surface, possibly a table or similar structure. The color palette is quite dark, with deep, earthy tones dominating the composition and highlighting the musculature and form of the figure prominently. The brushwork is expressive and seems to reflect the troubled or introspective mood of the subject. The background is undistinguished, allowing the viewer’s focus to remain on the figure and their nuanced pose. The portrait is imbued with emotions that are characteristic of the Romanticism art movement, which often sought to capture more than just the physical appearance of its subjects, delving into deeper aspects of human experience and emotion.
