“The Smoker” is a notable artwork by Paul Cezanne, a master of Post-Impressionism, completed in the year 1890. This oil on canvas portrait measures 90 by 72 centimeters and is part of the collection at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The artwork represents the genre of portraiture, a common subject for artists exploring human character and emotion.
The artwork depicts a man seated, holding a pipe in his right hand which rests on an upholstered sofa or bench. His left hand is positioned near his face, with his thumb supporting his chin, suggesting a moment of contemplation or rest. The man is stylishly attired, wearing a hat, and the details of his face show a well-groomed mustache and beard.
Cezanne’s use of bold, disjointed strokes and colors emphasizes the structure and form, a hallmark of his Post-Impressionist technique. The composition of the portrait foregoes traditional perspective, allowing Cezanne to explore spatial complexities and the relationship of colors and shapes. This approach gives the figure a solid presence amidst the surrounding objects, including a bottle and fruit that can be partially seen in the background, which also subtly break from conventional representation.
The overall effect of the artwork is a sophisticated blend of naturalistic depiction and abstracted form, a duality that Cezanne handled masterfully and which contributed significantly to the development of modern art. It captures both the physicality and the inner world of the subject, encompassed within the rich and textural surface created by the artist’s brushwork.
