Madame Cézanne (Hortense Fiquet, 1850–1922) in a Red Dress
1888–90
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
45 7/8 × 35 1/4 in. (116.5 × 89.5 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ittleson Jr. Purchase Fund, 1962
Accession Number
62.45
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 1880s, Paul Cézanne captured his wife, Hortense Fiquet, the vibrant *Madame Cézanne in a Red Dress*, painted between 1888 and 1890. This oil on canvas portrait, measuring nearly four feet tall, exemplifies Cézanne's Post-Impressionist style, where he moved beyond Impressionism's light effects to prioritize geometric structure and solid form. Hortense, seated confidently against a patterned wallpaper, dominates the composition her bold red gown, a color that draws the eye and underscores her presence. Cézanne's technique here reveals his revolutionary approach: deliberate, blocky b...
About the Artist
Paul Cézanne · 1839–1906
Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) stands as one of the most influential figures in the history of modern art, often called the "Father of Modern Art" for his revolutionary approach to form, color, and pictorial space. Born in Aix-en-Provence to a wealthy banker who discouraged artistic pursuits, Cézanne rejected a legal career to pursue painting, though he remained financially dependent on his family until...