
Paul Cezanne painted a beautiful piece in 1892 called “The Card Players.” Featured in the painting are three men playing cards around a table as two people watch from the back. The background is simplistic with a curtain, pipes, frame and a vase on the wall. The players slouch over the table as they stare at their hand of cards. The two men in the back also have slouched, relaxed postures. Instead of looking at a hand of cards, the men in the back are staring at the game being played. The table around which the men are sitting has one empty side that faces the viewer. Placement of the figures creates triangles in the painting which is a common art element used to create a focal point. Cezanne uses the postures of the people, their gaze, colors, and the players’ and table’s positions to make the viewer engage in the painting in order to create a sense of belonging.

The different colors and brightness affect the focal point of this painting by making the spectator be invited to join in the game. Cezanne chose to use variations of brown, blue, and black in his painting to accentuate the man in the center as well as the table painted in off white. Due to the brightness of the man and the table, they are the focal points. The colors used are not the only thing making them the focal point. The edge of the table and the men’s arm positions create a triangle. In art, triangles are used to draw a viewer’s eyes to a specific point, in this case being the man in the center. This is done by creating a triangle that is not equilateral, which causes attention to be drawn to the uneven side. Using the triangle technique alone is not always sufficient so, Cezanne strengthens the focal point with lighter colors. The eye is also drawn to the side of the table facing the audience because it is lightly colored and bright. The empty side of the table that can be seen makes the viewer participate in the painting as it creates a gap at the table. The empty side of the table gives the spectator the opportunity to decide if they want to join in the game and join the community of card players. Everyone is engaged in playing or watching the card game, so the spectator will want to join in as well. As the spectator sits across from the man in white, he is the logical focal point when the viewer sits in the empty spot. When sitting at a table people tend to look at those across from them. Cezanne purposefully put the lighter dressed man across from where the viewer would sit because, as the viewer looks forward their eyes would be on that man. This is important because it makes the spectator feel as if they were actually in the painting, since the focal point matches with what the spectator would be looking at if they were sitting at the table.

Every man in the painting, including those in the back, have a slouched, relaxed posture which contributes to the mood, as well as engages the viewer in the painting. In group settings people tend to imitate each other in their movements in order to feel like they belong. As a viewer, the painting makes you slouch over to see what is happening on the table and peer in to participate. The choice is then up to the spectator on whether they join the card game. Cezanne uses the structure of the card players to get the viewer to imitate them so, they feel a sense of belonging with the group. Cezanne creates a relaxed mood by having the people slouch. The relaxing mood shows that the card game is not being played for money but rather just for fun. Since it is relaxed and for fun, the people are most likely friends or family who are enjoying some time away from their responsibilities. When friends get together no one wants to be left out, they want to invited and feel like they belong. Wanting to feel like you belong is what makes the spectator take the invitation to play and engage in the painting. The spectator will choose to sit at the empty spot and play with the other men. 

Cezanne’s painting uses people’s gazes to include the spectator in the painting. The three men around the table are focused on the cards in their hand as they are most likely planning their next move. The two men in the background stare on very sharply. When everyone is focused on one main thing, it makes the people around want to know what is going on, which causes them to stare at the same thing. Cezanne uses the gazes of the players as a tactic to get the spectator to gaze onto the game being played. When the viewer engages in the painting by gazing on to the game they feel a sense of belonging as they are part of the card playing crew. Cezanne uses people’s gazes to create an inviting situation to join in on.

 The postures, gazes, focal points, and positioning of objects and people work together to engage the spectator in the painter. “The Card Players” invites the spectator into the painting by leaving the open seat at the table. Cezanne uses people’s want to know what is going on and the want to feel a part of something to draw in the viewer. By having the audience participate in the painting it creates a more powerful image that people will remember and want to look at.