Man Smoking A Cigar – 19th-century Symbolist School

This drawing depicts an older man lost in thought as he reads his book, smoking a cigar as he does so. He is dressed in a simple suit, with his long beard and moustache hanging down his lapels.

There is a masterful attention to light and dark areas in this drawing - shade and brightness are both represented through hatching and are accurately rendered. This lighting creates the typical symbolist dream-like and ethereal quality. There is particular attention paid to the man’s face, with his asymmetrical nose, his drooping cheeks, and his slightly swollen eyes. The man’s attention remains on the book in his hands, despite the attention of the viewer being cast almost entirely upon the man’s face.

Symbolism

Symbolism was a literary and artistic movement that began in France in the 19th century, but soon had followers across Europe. It discarded direct representations in favour of depicting subjects from dreams, spiritualism, mythology and Biblical history in order to suggest ideas and provide an escape from the increasingly hyper-industrial and scientific reality. In terms of other contemporary art movements, Symbolism was a digression away from the objectivity of the subject matters within the movements of Realism and Impressionism. It sought to reflect emotions and ideas instead of the decadence and industrialisation of modern society - for this reason, there was no united aesthetic of Symbolist works, as Symbolist artists subscribed to the same ideology rather than the same artistic style.