The late 1800s saw the start of the radical art movement known as Impressionism, predominantly composed of Parisian painters. In their drive to create art authentically portrayed their period, the Impressionists abandoned conventional topics and adopted modernism.
They emphasized how light might describe a moment in time, with colors offering clear definitions rather than just random black lines. In addition, the Impressionists stressed the technique of freehand drawing or painting outside. As a result, critics first mocked Impressionism but have now become recognized as one of the most well-liked and significant art movements in history.
One of the most significant post-impressionist artists was the French artist Paul Cezanne. His work links the evolution of substantial twentieth-century art styles and nineteenth-century Impressionism. In addition, he was essential as a forerunner of Cubism.
In France, Post-Impressionism first appeared in the late 19th century. This significant art style was founded by Paul Cézanne, whose artwork is distinguished by painterly brushstrokes, an avant-garde approach to perspective, and a vibrant color palette.
Cézanne is recognized as the founder of Fauvism and a predecessor to Cubism, in addition to his status as a significant Post-Impressionist. Painter Cézanne is recognized as one of the most significant personalities in contemporary art history due to his dominance in these revolutionary styles.
Cézanne: Who is he?
Paul Cézanne was born in the southern French town of Aix-en-Provence in 1839. While Cézanne spent most of his time in this area living and working, he also traveled to Paris, where he showed his work with other Impressionists, including Claude Monet and Mary Cassatt. However, despite spending a lot of time with them, he did not identify as an Impressionist.
Painter Cézanne, in contrast to the Impressionists, preferred to work in his studio than outside. He disapproved of their ostensibly haphazard brushwork and sought structured, ordered compositions. He also prioritized symbolism and content over technique, refusing to capture the transitory perceptions of his subjects, a significant aspect of Impressionism.
Through this creative process, Cézanne created a singular aesthetic that set him apart from his peers.
The contribution of Paul Cezanne to Impressionism
Talented painter Cezanne was able to alter the Impressionism movement by presenting his extraordinary and distinctive artistic approaches, which have since influenced many painters. Check out some of these incredible styles below:
Brushwork That is “Constructive”
Cézanne utilized palette knives early in his career to create richly textured paintings. But after spending time with the Impressionists, he became motivated to use new painting techniques.
He embraced the “broken brushwork” style of the Impressionists. Cézanne used “constructive strokes”—carefully placed markings that combined to produce geometric forms—in contrast to Impressionism’s rapid, sketch-like brushstrokes.
Cézanne depended on this contrasting brushwork to establish the boundaries of things when their points of contact are weak and delicate since he avoided using black lines. The best Paul Cezanne drawings applied the use of this unique style.
Subtle Color
Paul Cezanne’s drawings are distinguished by artistic brush strokes and a recognized color scheme. Although he used gloomy tones in several of his early works, he soon began to favor planes of vibrant colors.
His landscape paintings, such as his brilliant vistas of Mont Sainte-Victoire, exhibit this striking tonal technique. The mountains, trees, and Mediterranean-style dwellings of the Provençal region are reduced to shattered-yet-harmonious blocks of color in this work by Cézanne. Each panoramic painting is given depth by these polychromatic planes, which also demonstrate Cézanne’s avant-garde method of portraying nature.
Skewed PERSPECTIVE
Cézanne frequently ignored realistic depictions of space in favor of more imaginative compositions. This is especially clear in his renderings of still life, which commonly include fruit, bottles, and other commonplace items perched on slanted, unsteady tables.
Post-impressionist artist Paul Cezanne experimented with perspective and flat surfaces in these paintings to simultaneously depict the same arrangement from many viewpoints. He did this by focusing on each particular object rather than the entire picture, resulting in striking compositions and being out of focus.
As artist Georges Braque noted in 1957, this distortion principle would later play a significant role in Cubism. This distinct approach to perspective eventually prompted Picasso to refer to Cézanne as “the father of us all” when combined with his analytical brushstrokes and vibrant color pallet.
Post-Impressionism led by Paul Cézanne
The 1880s backlash against Impressionism is also characterized as “post-Impressionism.” Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, and Georges Seurat were its leaders. The Post-Impressionists disregarded the concern for light and color’s spontaneous and lifelike representation.
They preferred emphasizing formal structure, formal order, and symbolic substance. However, they emphasized the artificiality of the image like the Impressionists. The Post-Impressionists also believed that color might serve as an aesthetic and emotional carrier of a message without being dependent on form or composition.
Post-Impressionism and Impressionism can be witnessed in some of the most recognized contemporary art pieces, like Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh as well as Water Lilies by Claude Monet. Post-impressionist artist Paul Cezanne’s efforts and visionary leadership have made Impressionism and Post-Impressionism two of the most well-known and cherished creative periods.
Conclusion
Many people believe Paul Cézanne to be one of the most important painters of the late 19th century. Pablo Picasso quickly acknowledged the elderly master as his most significant influence. Like Henri Matisse, Cézanne was once called “the father of us all.”
For many years, the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York was set up with a whole room devoted to Paul Cézanne. He is also given access to a sizable chamber at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s evident that many curators and artists value him highly and will forever cherish his extraordinary artistic brilliance. An excellent and gifted human being he was.