The Card Players, Paul Cézanne, 1890-92
By Ronique Small
When I first saw The Card Players by Cézanne, I immediately felt like I could join the game. The calm, shared moments of the players reminded me of scenes in the popular video game Red Dead Redemption, where characters come together and enjoy the sounds of the wild west and sit by the campfire with horses. This sense of timeless camaraderie is what draws me to the painting, making it feel just as relevant today as it did when Cézanne created it. This painting, created by Paul Cézanne in 1890-1892, was among one his most popular and powerful works. According to The Met website, “Cézanne was in his fifties when he undertook a painting campaign devoted to giving memorable form to a subject that inspired the likes of Caravaggio and Chardin.” In his work he wanted to engage in art history but also modify it and take it in a new direction. And that’s exactly what he did in this painting.
Cézanne wanted to take a new approach to this particular subject. Cézanne used his love and deep attachment to his native region located in southern France which inspired this piece even more. He used local farmhands as his models. Smarthistory says Cézanne wanted to stress the shared social aspect of the card game. The game demands attention and concentration which is the same thing that’s required when depicting art. Whether that’s looking at techniques, elements used, or finding out the overall meaning behind the work. Each figure on the oil canvas is carefully positioned and beautifully painted in 3D quality. Cézanne with delicate and different levels of pressure with his brushstrokes creates light and shadow from the figures themselves or from different corners of the room. Light and shadow also comes from the vast color palette he used. The figures overlap which helps establish a foreground, middle ground and background. The clear focal point of this work is the group of men playing cards and the narrative depicts a moment of social interaction.
Straight and curved lines define the men in the painting as well as the objects like the chairs, table, wall, cigars and curtains in the background. The rectangular and angular shapes, curves and rounded forms, cylindrical and circular shapes, and organic shapes are all in great detail. Cézanne masterfully combines geometric and organic shapes through lines and curves to create a balanced, harmonious scene that emphasizes both structure and human form. The vast selection of Cézanne’s color palette differentiates across the series of this work. The painting found in The Metropolitan Museum of Art has earthy tones dominated by browns, beiges and ochres. It also consists of muted blues from the clothing and background. Warm yellows and reds are present in the players’ skin tones and in some details like the table and clothing accents. Lastly, dark browns and grays. These colors define the background, table, and shadows creating depth and contrast. With visible brushstrokes like the wall in the background, Cézanne used lighter strokes to make it appear more soft. In the more darker/shaded areas he used more force. You can also see this texture formed in the clothing. The arrangement of men around the table form a triangular shape that draws the viewer’s attention to their interaction. Although they are the main focus, Cézanne does a fantastic job at drawing the viewer’s attention elsewhere.
As I mentioned earlier, the card game itself really grabbed my attention. The way Cézanne positioned the players made me feel like I could pull up a chair and join in. This sense of camaraderie is what truly resonates with me in this artwork. It’s timeless, simple, and yet so effective.
Bibliography
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “The Card Players by Paul Cézanne.” The Met Collection. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435868. Accessed October 21, 2024.
Harvey, Ben. “Paul Cézanne, The Card Players.” Smarthistory. https://smarthistory.org/paul-cezanne-the-card-players/. Accessed October 21, 2024.
