World-renowned Painter Collection - Cézanne

Author: He Zhengguang, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Time:
Features: In the art of modern spontaneous spirit, it is by no means to gain some superficial satisfaction while painting; because modern art is all about the activities of a high level of spirit, which the painters of previous generations could never have imagined. Artists like Cézanne and Van Gogh all had special and complex spiritual activities.
Cézanne (1839–1906) spent his entire artistic life in contact with nature. He observed nature, absorbing the phenomena of the natural world with his eyes, constantly moving and expanding them. This movement and expansion were all born from his dedication to nature and the spirit within him. Cézanne’s focus was on maintaining the "eternal aspect" of art in nature, firmly rooted in the unchanging. Therefore, he used stubborn brushstrokes and a viscous technique to absorb nature. When we look at Cézanne’s works, the first impression is structure and emotion. His still lifes—fruits, ceramic pots, a piece of cloth—are not just depictions but are as solid as building houses. During his lifetime, Cézanne’s works were not recognized, and he was rejected year after year from the official salon exhibitions. However, today, Cézanne is widely recognized as one of the great masters of Western art. He left behind nearly a thousand oil paintings, five hundred sketches, and watercolor paintings. In September 1995, the Grand Palais in Paris held a major retrospective exhibition of Cézanne’s works. French Culture Minister Bompard stated, "Cézanne’s artistic achievements have been universally acknowledged for a century, and museums around the world take pride in collecting his works. This global honor is, in fact, partly due to the mysterious image of Cézanne as a solitary and perfect artist, as well as his deeply moving sense of mission. Cézanne proposed a theory of authority for his era, which our time references and admires."
Born in Provence, France, Cézanne originally studied law before dedicating himself to art. His entire artistic life was shaped by his direct engagement with nature. He believed that nature was not just its surface but had depth, rich colors, and a naturally full composition. The texture and solidity he expressed in his paintings, the protrusion created by color, and his innocent vision, though long rejected by the salon, were regarded as masterpieces by young artists of the time and were highly admired. Nearly a century later, his major retrospective exhibitions have traveled the world, receiving unanimous praise.
This book not only introduces the life of this father of modern painting and the characteristics of his artistic style but also includes the themes and periods of Cézanne’s works, his quotes, and a chronology of his life. Accompanying the text, it features over 350 selected images of Cézanne’s important works and life photographs, presenting the most systematic and comprehensive introduction to the master ever published.