cezanne13 Paul Cezanne (1839-1906)

The drawing presents two studies of male heads, executed in a muted palette primarily consisting of ochre, brown, and black chalk on a beige ground. The composition is arranged asymmetrically across the rectangular surface.
On the left, we observe a head turned slightly towards the viewer, wearing what appears to be a tricorn hat. A pronounced brow ridge and a somewhat pursed mouth suggest an expression of seriousness or introspection. The artist has rendered the features with a deliberate roughness, emphasizing the planes of the face through hatched lines and shading. Below this portrait, a detailed study of an ear is included, demonstrating careful observation of its form and structure.
To the right, another head is depicted in profile. This figure’s gaze is directed upwards, his hand raised as if gesturing or pointing towards something beyond the frame. The rendering here is similarly characterized by rapid, expressive lines that define the contours and suggest volume. A sense of immediacy pervades this study; it feels less like a finished portrait and more like a quick capture of a fleeting moment.
The overall effect is one of concentrated observation and exploration of form. The artist seems primarily concerned with capturing the essential characteristics of the human face, rather than striving for idealized beauty or photographic realism. The studies possess a certain intimacy, as if we are privy to the artist’s process of understanding and representing his subject.
The inclusion of both frontal and profile views suggests an attempt to understand the figure from multiple perspectives, furthering the impression that this is a working study intended to inform a larger composition or project. The lack of background detail focuses attention entirely on the human form, elevating it to the central concern of the drawing.