The Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings of Paul Cezanne
An online catalogue raisonné under the direction of Walter Feilchenfeldt, Jayne Warman and David Nash
Catalogue entry
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FWN 607
La conversation
1870–71
Alternate titles: Dames en crinoline; Die Schwestern; Die zwei Schwestern; Les deux soeurs; Les deux sœur ou La conversation; Les soeurs de Cézanne; Portraits de Mlle Cézanne, Mme Conil, Mm Abram et Valabrègue; The conversation; The Two Sisters
Rewald: (152) 1870–71; Venturi revised: c.1871; Venturi: (120) 1870–71; Rivière: 1875
Oil on canvas
36 3/16 x 28 11/16 in. (92 x 73 cm)
Provenance
Private collection, Paris
Exhibition History
Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris, Paul Cézanne, January 6–17, 1914, no. 9, as Les soeurs de Cézanne, for sale.
Knoedler Galleries, New York, Paintings by Contemporary French Artists, January 5–29, 1916, no. 12, as The Two Sisters.
Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris, Exposition rétrospective Paul Cézanne (1939-1906) au profit de la caisse du Monument Cézanne, June 1–30, 1926, no. 51, as Les deux soeurs, lent by Bernheim-Jeune.
Galerie Thannhauser, Berlin, Erste Sonderausstellung in Berlin, January 9–mid-February, 1927, no. 12, ill., as Die zwei Schwestern, lent by Bernheim-Jeune.
Galerie Pigalle, Paris, Exposition Cèzanne, 1839–1906: Quelques souvenirs, January 4–February 7, 1930, no. 1, ill., (dated 1870), as Les deux soeurs, lent by Bernheim-Jeune.
Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris, Cents ans de portraits français (1800–1900), October 15–November 12, 1934, no. 18, ill.
Bernheim-Jeune, Paris, Quelques Tableaux d'Ingres à Gauguin, June 11–July 13, 1935, no. 4.
Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris, Exposition de la femme, 1800–1930, April–June 1948, no. 15, ill.
Orangerie, Paris, Monticelli et le baroque provençal, June 19–September 15, 1953, no. 12, as Les deux sœur ou La conversation, c. 1870-71, lent by Bernheim-Jeune, Paris.
Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris, Cézanne—Aquarelliste et Peintre, May–July 1960, no. 27.
Museum zu Allerheiligen, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Die Welt des Impressionismus, June 29–September 29, 1963, no. 4, ill., as Die zwei Schwestern, 1870-1871, lent by Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris.
Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris, L'Art et la mode, 1965, no. 6.
Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, Paris, Aquarelles de Cézanne: au profit de la fondation des journalistes, January 12–March 13, 1971, no. 24.
Musée d'Orsay, Paris, Impressionnisme et la mode [English translation: Impressionism, Fashion & Modernity], September 25, 2012–January 20, 2013, no. 26, ill., as La conversation, shown with original fashion plate, lent by Private collection, courtesy Galerie Bernheim-Jeune. Traveled to: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, February 26–May 27, 2013. The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, June 26–September 22, 2013.
Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Martigny, Switzerland, Paul Cézanne: le chant de la terre, June 16–November 19, 2017, no. 79, ill., lent by Private collection.
Published References
Denis, Maurice. "Cézanne: I [and] II." Kunst und Künstler 12, no. 4 and no. 5 (1914), ill. p. 282.
Cortissoz, Royal. "Paul Cézanne and the Cult for His Paintings." New York Tribune, January 9, 1916, ill.
"French Pictures at Knoedler's." New York Times Magazine (Jan. 9, 1916), pp. 21-22 as The Two Sisters.
Meier-Graefe, Julius. Cézanne und sein Kreis: ein Beitrag zur Entwicklungsgeschichte: mit 127 Tonätzungen und fünfzehn Heliogravüren. Munich: R. Piper, 1918, ill. p. 91.
"Breve fra Paul Cézanne." Klingen vol. 3, no. 9 (1919–20), ill.
"Cézanne." Maestri moderni, vol 1. Rome: La Voce, 1920, ill.
Gasquet, Joachim. Cézanne. Paris: Les Editions Bernheim-Jeune, 1921, p. 22, pl. p. 22, as ...dans une toile qu'il fit de ses sœurs ...
J.[anneau], G.[uillaume]. "Impressions d'Amérique: M. Bénédite nous conte son voyage." Le Bulletin de la vie artistique 2, no. 8 (April 15, 1921), ill. p. 239.
Meier-Graefe, Julius. Cézanne und sein Kreis: ein Beitrag zur Entwicklungsgeschichte: mit 171 Tonätzungen und einem Lichtdruck. Munich: R. Piper, 1922, ill. p. 103 as Die Schwestern.
Wedderkop, Hans von. Paul Cézanne. Leipzig: Klinkhard und Biermann, 1922, ill.
Klingsor, Tristan L. Cézanne. Paris: Rieder, 1923, pl. 2 as Portraits de Mlle Cézanne, Mme Conil, Mm Abram et Valabrègue.
Rivière, Georges. Le Maître Paul Cézanne. Paris: Librairie Floury, 1923, p. 201, listed, ill. opp. p. 34 as La conversation, dated 1875, Pellerin.
Arishima, Ikuma. Sezannu [Cézanne]. Tokyo: Ars, 1925, pl. 17.
Cortissoz, Royal. Personalities in Art. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1925, pp. 298, 299.
Gasquet, Joachim. Cézanne. Paris: Les Editions Bernheim-Jeune, 1926, p. 36, pl. [6] hors texte, as ...dans une toile qu'il fit de ses sœurs ...
Vauxcelles, Louis. "A propos de Cézanne [Hommage à Paul Cézanne]." L'Art vivant (Paris), no. 37 (July 1, 1926), p. 484, ill. as Dames en crinoline.
Dormoy, Marie, translated by Margarete Mauthner. "Die Cézanne - Ausstellung bei Bernheim-Jeune." Kunst und Künstler 24, no. 11 (1926), p. 449.
Osborn, Max. "Klassiker der französischen Moderne." Deutsche Kunst und Dekoration 59 (March 1927), p. 334, ill.
Sch.[effler], K.[arl]. "Kunstausstellungen: Berlin." Kunst und Künstler 25, no. 6 (1927), ill. p. 225.
Meier-Graefe, Julius. Cézanne. Translated by J. Holroyd-Reece. London: Ernest Benn, 1927, pl. VI.
Charensol, Georges. "Cézanne à la galerie Pigalle." L'Art vivant, no. 124 (February 15, 1930), p. 181, ill.
D'Ors, Eugenio. Paul Cézanne. Paris: Editions des Chroniques du Jour, 1930, pl. 31.
Dormoy, Marie. "Die Cézanne—Ausstellung im Théâtre Pigalle." Kunst und Künstler 28, no. 6 (1930), p. 248.
Rivière, Georges. Cézanne: Le Peintre solitaire. Paris: Librairie Floury, 1933, p. 51, ill.
Mack, Gerstle. Paul Cézanne. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1935, fig. 6.
Di San Lazzaro, Gualtieri. Paul Cézanne. Paris: Chroniques du Jour, 1936, fig. 44.
Raynal, Maurice. Cézanne. Paris: Editions de Cluny, 1936, pl. X.
D'Ors, Eugenio. Paul Cézanne. New York: E. Weyhe, 1936, pl. 44.
Venturi, Lionello. Cézanne: Son Art, Son Oeuvre. Paris: Editions Paul Rosenberg, 1936, no. 120, ill. vol. II as La conversation.
Rewald, John. "Sources d'inspiration de Cézanne." Amour de l'Art, no. 5 (May 1936), p. 192, fig. 98.
Rewald, John. Cézanne et Zola. Paris: Editions A. Sedrowski, 1936, fig. 98.
Francastel, Pierre. L'impressionnisme: Les origines de la peinture moderne de Monet à Gauguin. Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 1937, fig. 14 as Les deux soeurs, private collection.
Wilenski, R.H. Modern French Painters. New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1940, fig. 7.
Rivière, Georges. Cézanne: Le Peintre solitaire. Paris: Librairie Floury, 1942, p. 51, ill.
Dorival, Bernard. Cézanne. Paris: Pierre Tisné, 1948, pl. IV, listed p. 175.
Beucken, Jean de. Un portrait de Cézanne. Paris: Gallimard, [1955], p. 272.
Murphy, Richard W. The World of Cézanne, 1839–1906. New York: Time-Life Books, 1968, p. 41.
Roskill, Mark W. "Early Impressionism and the Fashion Print." The Burlington Magazine, vol. CXIII, no. 814 (January 1971), p. 46.
Schapiro, Meyer. Paul Cézanne. Translated by Louis-Marie Ollivier. Paris: Nouvelles Editions Françaises, 1973, p. 56, ill.
Elgar, Frank. Cézanne. New York: Praeger, 1975, fig. 11.
Barskaya, Anna. Paul Cézanne. Leningrad: Aurora Art Publishers, 1975, p. 162, ill.
Venturi, Lionello. Cézanne. Geneva: Skira, 1978, p. 50, ill.
Lévêque, Jean Jacques. La Vie et l'oeuvre de Paul Cézanne. Courbevoie: ACR, 1988, p. 54, ill. in b/w.
Rewald, John. Cézanne and America: Dealers, Collectors, Artists and Critics, 1891–1921. Princeton: Princeton University Press; London: Thames & Hudson, 1989, p. 301, fig. 151.
Rewald, John. The Paintings of Paul Cézanne, A Catalogue Raisonné, 2 vols. In Collaboration with Walter Feilchenfeldt and Jayne Warman. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1996, no. 152, ill. vol. 2 as La conversation.
Dombrowski, André. "The emperor's last clothes: Cézanne, fashion and 'l'année terrible.'" The Burlington Magazine, vol. CXLVIII, no. 1242 (September 2006), fig. 6 as The conversation, with photograph of color plate from La Mode illustrée.
Dombrowski, André. Cézanne, Murder, and Modern Life. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2013, pl. 14a.
Gottlieb, Lennart. Modernism: Reinventing Painting, 1908–41. Aarhus: ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, 2013. Exhibition catalogue, p. 180, fig. 121.
Kitschen, Friederike. "Auf der dunklen Seite der Moderne." Review of Cézanne, Murder, and Modern Life. Kunstchronik 68, no. 2 (February 2015), p. 86.
This work was inspired by a fashion plate from La Mode illustré, dated July 31, 1870.
Record last updated August 16, 2019. Please note that the information on this and all pages is periodically reviewed and subject to change.
Citation: Feilchenfeldt, Walter, Jayne Warman, and David Nash. "La conversation, 1870–71 (FWN 607)." The Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings of Paul Cezanne: An Online Catalogue Raisonné. https://www.cezannecatalogue.com/catalogue/entry.php?id=160 (accessed on August 17, 2019).
