Marie-Hortense Fiquet
Marie-Hortense Fiquet (born April 22, 1850 in Saligney near Dole , † May 3, 1922 in Paris ) was a French painter model and the lover, muse and later wife of Paul Cézanne , the post-impressionist painter and pioneer of Cubism .
Life
Hortense Fiquet was a bookbinder's assistant and worked as a painter's model in order to earn a little extra income. Cézanne met Hortense, who was eleven years his junior, in 1869 at the Académie Suisse in Paris, and they had a relationship. In 1870 Cézanne and Fiquet lived in the fishing village of L'Estaque near Marseille during the Franco-German War ; Cézanne had withdrawn from being called up for military service.
Hortense did not share Cézanne's passion for painting, but sat patiently as his model. From the beginning of the seventies to the early nineties, 26 paintings by Hortense are known. She let the stressful sessions go through motionless and patient; in the paintings she usually has a strict, closed expression.
After the end of the Paris Commune , the couple returned to Paris in May 1871. Their son Paul was born there on January 4, 1872. Cézanne hid his unsuitable family from his father in order not to lose the money that he gave him to live as an artist.
From the end of 1872 to 1874 the family lived in Auvers-sur-Oise . Between 1874 and 1880, Cézanne commuted between Paris, where Hortense and his son had moved, to Aix, Marseille and L'Estaque. Towards the end of the 1870s, the father Cézannes learned of the long-hidden relationship with Hortense and their illegitimate son Paul. He then cut the monthly bill by half.
On April 28, 1886, Cézanne and Hortense Fiquet married in Aix-en-Provence when their son Paul junior was 14 years old. The marriage was already broken because Cézanne was afraid of women and, after a childhood trauma, was afraid of being touched, triggered by a kick from a classmate. Paul junior was to be legalized in his rights through marriage. In October, after the father's death, Cézanne, his mother and sisters inherited his property.
Mme Cézanne in a red armchair , 1877, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Paul Cézanne: Portrait of Mme Cézanne , 1883–87, Henry P. McHenny Collection, Germantown (Pennsylvania)
Paul Cézanne: Portrait of Mme Cézanne , around 1885, private property
Paul Cézanne: Portrait of the Son Paul , 1888–90, National Gallery of Art, Washington (DC)
Mme Cézanne in red dress , Museu de Arte de São Paulo , 1890
As the marital relationship had deteriorated, Hortense moved with her son to Paris. In 1890, Cézanne fell ill with diabetes; the illness made it even more difficult to deal with other people. In the hope that the disturbed relationship with Hortense could stabilize, Cézanne traveled with her and son Paul through Switzerland. The attempt failed because Cézanne returned after the trip to Provence, Hortense and Paul to Paris.
When Cézanne deposited his will with a notary in September 1902, he excluded his wife Hortense from the inheritance and declared his son Paul the sole heir. In October 1906, Cézanne was dying. His housekeeper sent a telegram to Paris, but the news reached the family too late.
Literature / exhibition
- Ulrike Becks-Malorny: Cézanne, 1839–1906. Pioneer of modernity . Taschen Verlag, Cologne 2007, ISBN 978-3-8228-5583-6
- Madame Cézanne , exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York, November 19, 2014 to March 15, 2015. Curator: Dita Amory. Catalog: ISBN 978-1-58839-546-7
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fiquet, Marie-Hortense |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French painter model, wife and model of Paul Cézanne |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 22, 1850 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Saligney at Dole |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 3, 1922 |
| Place of death | Paris |