Photo credit: Cézanne, the Complete Works

Dear Readers,

I had to undergo surgery this week.  Everything went very well, but I have not been able to write since the operation.  I hope to return to my normal activities as soon as possible.

Curtains

Farm at Montgeroult

 

Here are a few paintings by Paul Cézanne (1839–1906).  I tend to associate Cézanne with apples or other fruit.  Cézanne painted lovely still lifes.  In fact, some of his still lifes feature skulls.  Your may remember that during the 17th century, the Dutch Golden Age, still lifes were called Vanitas and often showed a skull, an element depicting the brevity of life (See Pieter Claesz, Wikipedia.)

By and large, an artist’s main frame of reference is art itself, but whether or not Cézanne featured skulls intending to underline the brevity of life would be difficult to ascertain.  As a post-impressionist, however, he did attempt to catch the brief moment when the light touches an object, suddenly transforming it.  That evanescent moment also points to the brevity of life.

Cézanne also painted landscapes, interesting displays of houses, portraits, people playing cards, nudes, groups of nudes, and works, such as “Curtains,” that constitute a lovely example of intimisme,[i] a private space.  Intimisme is often associated with impressionism as an impression is by definition a personal and fleeting view.    

Cézanne was not very popular in his days, yet both Picasso and Matisse looked upon him “the father of us all.”  (See Cézanne, Wikipedia)

Sugarbowl, Pears and Tablecloth

Ginger Jar and Fruit on a Table

The House with Cracked Walls (foot of post)

 

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[i] “Intimism”. Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 11 Apr. 2013
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/291874/Intimism>.

Video by Philip Scott Johnson

Micheline Walker©

April 12, 2013

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