Artworks by Paul Cézanne

Paul Cézanne, a founding figure of the Impressionist movement, diverged from peers like Pierre-Auguste Renoir by focusing on landscapes and still life rather than urban scenes. After the third Impressionist exhibition, he retreated to Aix-en-Provence, working in solitude and never rejoining the group for future exhibitions.

Driven by a commitment to his unique artistic vision, Paul Cézanne left Paris and ceased participating in Impressionist exhibitions. Despite this, he remained closely connected with key members of the movement, who valued his insights and camaraderie.

While Paul Cézanne never disavowed his association with the Impressionists, his artistic journey took a distinct direction. Instead of depicting transient natural impressions, he aimed to create a visual language reflecting nature's inherent structure. In his later years, he concentrated on a few themes: still life, the landscapes of Aix-en-Provence, and select figure compositions. Though he worked in isolation, his legacy remains intertwined with the Impressionist movement.

Explore the links below to discover more about the iconic masterpieces by Paul Cézanne, the trailblazing Impressionist who charted his own course.

On the following page, we’ll delve deeper into Paul Cézanne’s Impressionist masterpiece, The House of the Hanged Man. For additional insights into Impressionist art, artists, and history, explore:

The House of the Hanged Man by Paul Cézanne

Paul Cézanne's artwork The House of the Hanged Man, finished in 1873, used its title merely as a backdrop for his exploration of landscape. Cézanne employed thick layers of paint and a palette knife to create a textured surface. The bold impasto technique and meticulously structured composition in The House of the Hanged Man distinguished his approach from the styles of Claude Monet and Berthe Morisot, setting him apart within the Impressionist movement.

Cézanne's fierce independence meant he participated in just two Impressionist exhibitions. Next, we’ll explore a painting that brought him significant acclaim during the group’s inaugural showcase.

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Study: Landscape at Auvers by Paul Cézanne

Paul Cézanne's 1873 work Study: Landscape at Auvers received the most positive feedback among the three pieces he showcased at the first Impressionist exhibition. Critics like Jean Prouvaire questioned the Salon jury's dismissal of Cézanne, while Émile Zola praised him. Moving away from the darker tones of his earlier creations, Cézanne began focusing on the structural essence of his subjects rather than their surface appearance. In Study: Landscape at Auvers, he started distancing himself from the spontaneous style often associated with Impressionism.

To explore another example of Paul Cézanne's distinctive artistic approach, proceed to the next page.

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For additional insights into Impressionist artworks, artists, and their history, explore:

L'Estaque: View of the Bay of Marseilles by Paul Cézanne

L'Estaque: View of the Bay of Marseilles, painted by Paul Cézanne between 1878 and 1879, captures the coastal village of L'Estaque near Marseilles. Cézanne’s mother owned a home there, and he frequently visited to paint the bay. In this work, Cézanne intentionally simplified the landscape’s planes, observing how the intense sunlight reduced forms to silhouettes. He portrayed the scene using basic shapes, emphasizing structure over detail.

Like many artists, Paul Cézanne often revisited specific themes and subjects. On the following page, we’ll explore one of his paintings that aligns with a recurring motif in his body of work.

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The Card Players by Paul Cézanne

Paul Cézanne's The Card Players, created between 1890 and 1892, is one of several versions depicting men engaged in a card game at a café. In this rendition, a bottle on the table, highlighted by a bright white reflection, splits the composition, emphasizing the contrast between the light and dark tones of the figures' clothing. The Card Players by Paul Cézanne is less about capturing the men’s likeness and more about experimenting with volume and color.

Eventually, Paul Cézanne would distance himself from the Impressionists, forging his own artistic path. Continue reading to discover a later work from Cézanne’s career.

To delve deeper into Impressionist art, its artists, and historical context, explore:

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Landscape near Aix, the Plain of the Arc River by Paul Cézanne

Paul Cézanne's Landscape Near Aix, the Plain of the Arc River was created between 1892 and 1895, following the last Impressionist exhibition. Cézanne, however, only participated in two Impressionist shows: the first in 1874 and the third in 1877.

Driven by his independence, Cézanne pursued his unique vision, transforming his observations of nature into structured compositions of color, planes, and volumes, as seen in Landscape Near Aix, the Plain of the Arc River. He believed painting was a dialogue between the eye and the mind, where the eye captures nature’s essence, and the mind translates it into forms and colors that evoke, rather than replicate, the world.

To explore more about Impressionist art, its artists, and historical context, see:

For additional insights into Impressionist artworks, artists, and their history, explore:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Debra N. Mancoff is an art historian, lecturer, and author of several books on 19th-century European and American art. She serves as a scholar in residence at the Newberry Library.