Bathers (recto); Still Life (verso) - Paul Cézanne Canvas.

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 essential artist in the history of painting, having bridged the gap between Impressionism and Cubism into 20th-century art. Cézanne reduced his subjects to simple geometric forms and constructed a unique pictorial space. He pioneered new possibilities for expression in painting, particularly through his numerous masterpieces, including still lifes, landscapes, and portraits.

Paul Cézanne Biography

• Born January 19, 1839 in Aix-en-Provence, France
• In 1858, he enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the University of Aix, but decided to become a painter and moved to Paris.
• In the 1860s, he hoped to enter the École des Beaux-Arts, but was unsuccessful and instead attended 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.
• Since the 1880s, he has been active mainly in his hometown of Aix-en-Provence.
• In his later years, he repeatedly painted "Mont Sainte-Victoire"
• Died in Aix-en-Provence on October 22, 1906 (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 notable 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 a unique pictorial space. He also placed great importance on color, attempting to express a sense of form and space through the contrast and harmony of color planes. These attempts by Cézanne would have a decisive influence on later 20th-century art, including Cubism . In particular, his series of repeated paintings of Mont Sainte-Victoire , a landscape from his hometown, can be said to represent 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 profound influence on art in the 20th century and beyond. Cubist painters such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque were particularly influenced by Cézanne's paintings and further 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 museums around the world and continue to fascinate many people today.