Paul Cezanne

Paul Cézanne was a French painter active from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Known as the " father of modern painting ," he is an important artist who is indispensable in the history of painting, having been a bridge to 20th century art, from Impressionism to Cubism. Cézanne reduced his subjects to simple geometric forms and constructed his own unique pictorial space. In particular, he opened up new possibilities for expression in painting through his many masterpieces, including still lifes, landscapes, and portraits.

Paul Cézanne Biography

• Born January 19, 1839 in Aix-en-Provence, France
• In 1858, he entered the law faculty of the University of Aix, but decided to become a painter and moved to Paris.
• In the 1860s, he applied to enter the École des Beaux-Arts, but was unsuccessful and instead studied at the Académie Suisse.
• Participated in the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874
• After the Third Impressionist Exhibition in 1877, he began to distance himself from the group.
• From the 1880s onwards, he focused his artistic endeavours mainly in his hometown of Aix-en-Provence.
• In his later years, he repeatedly painted "Mont Sainte-Victoire"
• Died on October 22, 1906 in Aix-en-Provence (aged 67)

Representative works

• Mont Sainte-Victoire ( series, various years)
• The Large Bathers (c. 1898-1905)
• The Card Players (c. 1890-1895)
• Apples and Oranges (c. 1899)

The Art of Paul Cézanne

A major feature of Cézanne's art is that he departed from traditional perspective and chiaroscuro in pursuit of his own unique style of pictorial expression. He reduced his subjects to geometric forms such as cylinders, spheres, and cones, and reconstructed them on the canvas to create his own unique pictorial space. He also placed great importance on color, attempting to express a sense of form and spatiality through the contrast and harmony of colored surfaces. These attempts by him would later have a decisive influence on 20th century art, including Cubism . In particular, the series in which he repeatedly painted " Mont Sainte-Victoire ," a landscape from his hometown, can be said to be the culmination of Cézanne's art.

The influence of Paul Cézanne and his later reputation

Known as the " father of modern painting ," Paul Cézanne had a tremendous influence on art in the 20th century and beyond. In particular, Cubist painters such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque were strongly influenced by Cézanne's paintings and developed their own art. Today, Cézanne is highly regarded around the world as a great artist who opened the door to modern art. Keywords such as " geometric forms ," ​​" Mont Sainte-Victoire ," " Cubism ," and " father of modern painting " are important elements in understanding Cézanne's art. His works are housed in art museums around the world and continue to fascinate many people even today.