Cezanne at the Tate Modern
Back in January 2023 I visited the Tate Modern on a trip to London; on this trip I had the pleasure of visiting the EY exhibition on Cezanne, where I got to see his detailed, energetic paintings of apples and other fruits that I had studied previously within my studies.
Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) is a highly regarded painter of the late 19th century, who is often characterised by the basic shapes, vibrant colours and intriguing angles depicted within his paintings of fruits. The exhibition explored Cezanne’s relationships to those around him, his place in creative circles and the influence of his surrounding and nature on him as a painter in the late 1800s.
Some of Cezanne’s most recognisable work is undoubtedly his studies of fruit, at least this is how I was first introduced to him! For Cezanne, fruit became an optimal subject due to his slow, analytical approach to painting. His studies of apples and pears show a fascination with colour and a developing an understanding of perspective and the role of light and space within that. This work built up a collection titles ‘Still Life’ and was created through continuous research in his isolated studio environment. The Still Life works are largely composed of everyday, readily available household objects, and utilise a vibrant and varied colour palette to render each aspect of the objects in front of him. Through this, Cezanne became attracted to perspective, wanting to both capture and question our understanding of what we see in front of us.
Although still life is often regarded as a less important genre of art, I think Cezanne redefines this through playing with colour and perspective in his Still Life paintings.
As well as being surrounded by his famous oil paintings of apples, I was intrigued to see Cezanne’s studies of figures and the landscapes of Southern France.
Before visiting the Tate I was not aware of the landscape paintings however I was automatically drawn to the enigmatic nature of them. In contrast with the fruit studies, Cezanne’s landscapes depict vague shapes and outlines that suggest towering mountains and rolling hills. The subject is better shown through the direction of brush marks and tone of paint showing shadows and densities of tree, fields and clouds.
Many of Cezanne’s landscapes are of Mont Sainte-Victoire, a limestone mountain in Aix, France. He painted this scene over 80 times in different mediums, causing them to gain considerable appreciation today, notably in Japan and South America.
The landscapes are devoid of any human presence, emphasising the serenity of nature. Nowerdays, in such a fast-pace society, looking to nature in reality and through art can remind us of the value of slowing down to appreciate the landscapes around us.
Through the 1870s, Cezanne worked on paintings of the bathers, that depict nude figures in imaginary landscapes. At the Tate, I learnt how Cezanne studied paintings and sculptures in museums rather than sketching from life models. He developed from looking at one, individual figure to gatherings of men and women, yet over the years these figures became more androgynous.
Although the figure studies were intriguing and I was fascinated by Cezanne’s work process, ultimately I did not find them as compelling as his work on nature and natural forms.
I am always instantly drawn to the bold brushstrokes in Cezanne’s paintings, and other artists such as Van Gogh, that create clear form and structure of the subject through direction, colour and light. It has been fascinating to learn more about Cezanne through my personal research and the Tate Modern exhibition. The Tate Modern exposed me to his work outside of Still Life that I was not previously aware of, and has made me want to visit the South of France even more!
Visit Cezanne at the Tate Modern: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/ey-exhibition-cezanne
