Schjeldahl and the Clunky Cezanne's

Cezanne, portrait of Gustave Geoffroy

As already noted , I like to read the art writing of Peter Schjeldahl - even when I disagree with it.

Who else could write about the "Lurchingly Uneven Portraits of Paul Cezanne" and still be published anywhere but online?

Regretfully, however the only example of  such "unevenness" that he offers is the above portrait of Gustave Geoffroy- which he also notes is unfinished.   It's been nearly fifty years since I've been to Paris, so I can't remember how the piece actually looks in person.  But in the above reproductions -- it looks pretty good.  I also get a sense of the subject's character and intellect.

I also like the portrait of Madame Cezanne in a Yellow Chair -- which is in the Art Institute of Chicago, so I've seen it many times.


If you'd like to see some real clunkers, however, you can view a page of other portraits of Marie-Hortense Fiquet