An attempt at a famous painting by Paul Cezanne.
I bought a cheap book of canvas sheets, the surface is really rough and awful to paint on. And I finally think I know what people mean when they say Acrylics have a ‘plasticy’ look!
Anyway I’ve decided to use these sheets to do some studies of Master paintings, I’ll be posting my efforts over the coming months.
The first is this copy of Cezanne’s Card Players.
Paul Cezanne The Artist
Born in 1839 into a middle class family in the Provence region of France, Paul Cezanne didn’t suffer the hardships usually associated with being a working artist.
His father was a successful businessman who owned his own bank. Monsieur Cezanne Snr would have preferred his son to have a legal career but nevertheless still sponsored Paul’s artistic endeavours well into adulthood.
Cezanne lived at a time of great advances in the arts. He was a lifelong friend of the writer Emile Zola and a contemporary of the Impressionists.
He submitted works to the Paris Salon on a number of occasions but was never accepted. In 1874 he took part in the first Impressionist group exhibition. He also participated in their third exhibition of 1877.
Despite Cezanne’s association with the Impressionists he sought to move away from that style himself.
Paul Cezanne died in 1906.
Famous Paintings
Here are some of his most famous works:
The Card Players
He made five versions of this scene in total but this one is my favourites. Done in the post-impressionistic style, it is currently held at the Musee d’Orsay, Paris.
The House of the Hanged Man, Auvers-sur-Oise
Created in 1873 and done in an Impressionist style this painting was bought by Armand Doria, a collector, at the first Impressionist exhibition.
A Modern Olympia
This 1873 painting received some scathing criticism when it was shown at the First Impressionist Exhibition. A canvas of quick and bold brushstrokes, it is said to pay homage to Manet’s Olympia.
Mont Sainte-Victoire
An 1890 painting of one of his favourite landscape scenes. The style is post-impressionism.
The Bathers
One of a series of paintings he made of female nudes outdoors. Currently held in the Philadelphia Museum of art it measures roughly 8 x 7 feet.
Woman with a Coffee Pot
Created around 1895 this painting is thought to be of a servant, probably the housekeeper at his family’s home Jas de Bouffan.
Still Life with a Curtain
He would spend weeks or months on a painting until he was pleased with it. He made a large number of still lifes with fruits and cloth. Often he would distort the perspective to give the most pleasing effect. This one is from 1898-1899.
Self Portrait
Paul Cezanne painted quite a number of self portraits. With a self portrait (and an indoor still life) an artist can always make sure the lighting is just right which is always useful for a slow painter like him.
Old Masters
If you’ve enjoyed this post you might like these ones too:
John Singer Sargent
Abbott Handerson Thayer
René Magritte
Paul Gauguin
Claude Monet
Edouard Manet