The Boy in the Red Vest

"The Boy in the Red Vest" also known as "The Boy in the Red Waistcoat" is a celebrated painting by Paul Cézanne, crafted around 1889 or 1890. This work exemplifies Cézanne's mature and innovative style that developed after 1880. The series consists of four portraits of an Italian boy dressed in a red vest, each depicted in a different pose. This approach enabled Cézanne to thoroughly investigate the interaction between the figure and the surrounding space.

The most famous of the portraits shows the boy seated with a melancholic expression, his head resting on his hand. This particular painting is housed in Zurich, Switzerland, and is owned by the Foundation E.G. Bührle. The foundation appreciates the painting for its sophisticated composition and Cézanne's intuitive application of paint.

The painting's color palette is vibrant and dynamic, with a structured composition characterized by intersecting diagonals. Initially, the artwork was acquired by art dealer Ambroise Vollard. It subsequently passed through the hands of several collectors before being donated to the Foundation E.G. Bührle in 1960. In 2008, the painting was stolen from the museum but was fortunately recovered in Serbia in 2012. Besides this renowned piece, Cézanne created three other paintings in the same series around the same time.