One of the most striking and influential figures in modern French painting.
He was born at Aix, Provence, the son of a banker. In the college of his native town he formed a friendship with Emile Zola, whom he followed to Paris, and on whose advice he took up painting. He failed in the entrance examinations to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, but in the Ecole Suisse, in which he studied, he was associated with Pissaro, who introduced. him to the art of Courbot and Manet.
As a result, Cezanne joined the Impressionists, exhibiting with them in 1874 and again in 1877, when he sent in 17 oil paintings. Discouraged by the ridicule of critics and by his differences with the Impressionists, he retired in 1879 to Aix, where he spent the remainder of his life. He broke with all his old friends, even with Zola, and seemed forgotten by the world.
But in this seclusion he developed a style of amazing originality, which has exercised a profound influence upon the radical younger generation, who hail him as a prophet and a leader. Not until the exposition of 1900 and the posthumous exhibitions of his works did the world realize his importance.
For Cezanne differed from both Impressionists and Academicians. He used the bright colors of the former, but objected to the flat appearance of their pictures, and attempted to render depth and modeling, and in his last works he sought for unity of composition. His aim was to unite Impressionism with the great art of the past, which he endeavored to accomplish by the use of dark shadows and outlines in conjunction with a particularly bright and melting color scheme.
He excelled particularly in still life, hut wits also a great landscape painter, particularly when depicting his native Provence; he painted also forceful portraits and admirable nudes in landscape. His paintings are most numerous in the private collections of Paris. He is represented in the Luxembourg, Paris, in the Havemeyer collection, New York, and especially in the National Gallery, Berlin.
The story of Cezanne's struggles and career is depicted in Zola's L'Œuvre, of which he is the hero.
Consult this eBook by Elie Faure, for more details.
Twenty illustrations, in full-color and chronological order depicting the artist's various phases, are included.
