Becoming a disciple of Cézanne

Author: Wei Ben
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Paul Cézanne's early works were rich in color, to the point that people said, "Cézanne was like loading paint into a gun and shooting it onto the canvas." His brushstrokes were rough and powerful, with dark and moody colors, often depicting themes like murder and robbery, giving the impression of being terrifying. Later, influenced by Impressionism, he shifted his style, making the colors brighter. He studied Impressionism and forged a new path in painting, going beyond it to become the founder of the New Art Movement, which emerged from a critical perspective on Impressionism. The art world considers him a turning point, leading to the concepts of "Before Cézanne" and "After Cézanne," with the latter referred to as Post-Impressionism. For Cézanne, painting was not a light-hearted or enjoyable activity. He was constantly driven forward by his endless, passionate pursuit of exploration. Unlike Monet, who only painted based on his perception of light, Cézanne engaged in thought, reflecting the artist's subjective will. Cézanne believed that painting should pursue "artistic truth" rather than merely reproducing the appearance of nature. Artists should create a second nature on the canvas based on their direct experience of nature, after processing and organizing their observations.