Apprenticeship -- Cézanne: Cézanne

Author: Wei Ben
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Cézanne's early works were rich in color, to the point that people said, "Cézanne was shooting paint from a gun onto the canvas." Moreover, his brushstrokes were rough and powerful, the colors dark, and he often depicted subjects like murder and robbery, giving the impression of something terrifying. Later, influenced by Impressionism, he changed his style, and the colors became brighter. He studied Impressionism and carved out a new path in painting, going beyond Impressionism to become the founder of the new art movement that started with critical Impressionist remarks. The art world considers him a turning point, with terms like "before Cézanne" and "after Cézanne," the latter being referred to as Post-Impressionism. For Cézanne, painting was not an easy or pleasant endeavor. He was constantly driven forward by his endless, passionate pursuit of exploration. Unlike Monet, who painted based solely on his perception of light, Cézanne engaged in thinking, reflecting the artist's subjective will. Cézanne believed that painting should pursue "artistic truth" rather than merely reproducing the appearance of nature. The artist should, based on direct sensations from nature, process and organize them to create a second nature on the canvas.