Focus on Portrait of Ambroise Vollard (Cézanne) and explore the Background.
Ambroise Vollard was instrumental in raising Cézanne from an obscure painter to a renowned artist. Like many modern masters of the 19th Century, Cézanne benefited from Vollard's reputation and influence as an avant-garde and anti-establishment art dealer. After noticing Cezanne's work in the window of Julien (Père) Tanguy's paint shop in Montmartre, Vollard was instantly struck by it and had the ambition to exhibit the artist's work. He recalled, "I felt as though I had been punched in the stomach." At the time, Cézanne was in his mid-sixties, living in Provence, and was still unknown within the art world. However, Vollard managed to track him down. He secured approximately 150 works from Cézanne's son, who acted as his father's business manager. Vollard hosted Cézanne's first solo exhibition in November 1895, which transformed Cézanne's status and solidified his reputation as a master. Following the exhibition, many artists purchased Cézanne's artwork. The exhibition not only made Vollard wealthy, but also established Cézanne as one of the most influential artists of his time. Vollard presented Cézanne's work in at least two subsequent exhibitions and acted as dealer for about two-thirds of his work.Cézanne's approach to portraiture has been likened to his still life paintings of fruit, in that he rendered the subject in terms of round geometric forms and was only interested in depicting what he could see in front of him, rather than conveying the subject's mood or status. For this portrait, Vollard was made to sit completely still in silence for hours (from roughly 8 am till as late as 11:30 pm) over the course of 115 sessions, by balancing on a stool on top of a platform. He recalled how Cézanne reacted when, during one long sitting, he shifted his position, causing the artist to demand, "Do I have to tell you again you must sit like an apple? Does an apple move?"The Portrait of Ambroise Vollard is one of the first portraits of Vollard and was the only portrait to have been commissioned by him. Despite the long hours invested in its creation, the work was eventually abandoned by Cézanne and remained unfinished. The painting was treasured by Vollard until his death, at which point he bequeathed it to the Petit Palais.
still life Vollard Petit Palais Montmartre anti-establishment Ambroise Vollard Provence avant-garde