Paul Cezanne 18391906 Impressionism

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Paul Cezanne (1839-1906)Impressionism
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Childhood

• Born to wealthy parents in Aix-en-Provence
  (a-un-pro-va-ns) near the Mediterranean coast,
  Cezanne (say-zan) had a privileged childhood. He
  was well-educated at a boarding-school.
• To please his father, he studied law for two
  years, but eventually convinced his family to
  support his desire to be an artist.
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• This is an early picture of his father. What is
  the source of light? Does he look wealthy? Why?

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Romantic period

• He followed his school friend, Emile Zola, to
  Paris for two years. At the time, he was
  painting in a dark, thick paint. This picture is
  of his mother and sister.
• In Paris, he became friends with Pissaro
  (piz-are-o), an important Impressionist. Under
  Pissaros influence, Cezannes approach to his
  canvasses changed to lighter colors and more
  complex shapes.
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• Does this look like your home? How many patterns
  do you see?

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Constructive period

• His colors and brushwork lightened up, as did his
  topics.
• Even at this relatively early stage, his interest
  in the volume and solidity of shapes places him
  apart from other Impressionists.
• This is a picture of his wife.
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• Does the chair seem real?
• Do you sense that there is a body under the
  clothes?
• Where is the light source?

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Mature work

• After 1880, Cezanne largely retired to the
  country after inheriting his fathers fortune.
• He devoted himself to moving carrying the
  Impressionistic aims into something solid and
  durable, like the art of the museums.
• The top picture here sold for 28.6 million in
  1993.
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• Pictures of objects are called still-life. Can
  you see why? Does the fruit look real? What
  about the cloth?

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Conquer Paris with an apple

• He believed that all forms in nature were based
  on the cone, the sphere or the cylinder.
• He studied optics, particularly binoclularism
  the way each eye works separately and together to
  create depth perception.
• Look at this work through each eye separately,
  and then together.
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• What shapes do you see in the picture? Do they
  seem to be actual objects that would feel heavy
  if you picked them up?

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Sainte-Victoire

• In 1880, his brother-in-law bought a house near
  Ste.-Victoire (san-vic-toi), in southern France.
• To Cezanne, the mountain provided an ideal
  subject to show the volume, permanence, and
  firmness that he believed were the purpose of
  art.
• Notice the lack of people and movement.
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• Do you see a sphere? A cone? A cylinder?
• Do you like this picture? Does is feel realistic?

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Ste. Victoire

• Cezanne used planes of color and small
  brushstrokes to buildup complex forms.
• His works combine both an intense realism, and a
  depth that verges on abstract.
• What shapes do you see? Are these pictures
  painted at the same time of year? Why does he
  show no people?

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The Card Players

• Cezanne painted both landscapes and figures.
• Here, the bottle divides the picture,
  highlighting the dark and light shades in the
  mens clothes.
• His later portraits are much more about volume
  and color than the actual people. Notice the
  fullness and solidity of the players jackets.
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• What kinds of shapes do you see? How does the
  use of light and dark shadows help highlight the
  volume?

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Self-Portrait

• Cezanne paints himself as an intense, wealthy
  Frenchman. The turban was a fashion of the day.
• Cezanne spent a long time on each of his
  canvasses. Sometimes the fruit in his
  still-lives rotted before the picture was
  completed.
• He completed many works, which are found in
  museums throughout the world.
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• Do you feel he is looking directly at you? Does
  he seem confident?

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Later life

• After 1890, he became more of a recluse. He
  retreated to the country, foregoing even
  occasional trips to Paris.
• He fell out with friends and family, including a
  bitter fight with his friend Zola.
• In 1906 he was caught in a rainstorm while
  walking back from his studio. He contracted
  pneumonia and died several days later.
• By the time of his death, artists were making
  pilgrimages to his home celebrating his genius.

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The Father of Us All

• Picasso famously said Cezanne was the father of
  us all--truly a giant to the artists of the 20th
  century.
• Cubism often points to him as the starting point.
• Artist such as Braque, Gris, Picasso, Matisse and
  many others point to him as the first to show a
  new path in art that emphasizes shape and volume.
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• What shapes do you see? Do they feel solid and
  real? What about the perspective? Is the river
  further away?