Morgan Johnson

Artist Report Outline: Paul Cezanne

a. personality
Paul Cezanne seems to me to be a very unique man. He was very interested by
geometric shapes found in the world around him; he had a great respect for nature.
However he did not believe that to create a painting, you had to copy what is in front of
you exactly. Rather, he thought, that a painting should parallel and complement nature.
Paul Cezanne said quote, treat nature by means of the cylinder, the sphere, and the
cone. Based on his painting style and what I have read, I think that Paul Cezanne was a
free spirit. He was dedicated; he would spend large amounts of time doing studies and
painting objects from all angles. But he would always put his own twist on things by
exaggerating or highlighting shapes with lines and colors.
b. temperament
Paul Cezanne doesnt have any exciting stories from his personal life like Van Gogh.
Paul Cezanne seems like a pretty even tempered man, although he does have a little bit
of rebellion in him. His father was a successful lawyer and banker, and he was expected
to follow in his steps. However, against his parents will, he pursued his dream of being a
painter and artist. I read that his relationship with his father was very strained due to
his career decision. Despite the rift, Cezanne was still financially dependant on his
family for most of his life.

c. family life
As I mentioned in the last paragraph, Cezannes father was a lawyer and a banker. His
father was highly successful. His mother wasnt really mentioned in anything I read.
Due to heavy pressure put on him from his father, Cezanne attended the University of
Aix's law school from 1858 until 1861. In 1872 he married a woman named Hortense
Fiquet after she gave birth to his son, Paul. Apparently it's notable that he married Ms.
Fiquet following his fathers death. In his life Cezanne painted over forty portraits of his
wife, in addition to several portraits of their son.
d. time period.
I read a biography I read on biography.com about Paul Cezanne and it said that he
formed the bridge between late 19th century Impressionism and the early 20th
centurys new line of artistic inquiry; Cubism. Both Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso
were greatly influenced by Czannes work.
Describe one work of art that you feel was the most significant piece your artist
produced and in your own words explain why.
Description of painting: I choose the painting, Mouth Sainte-Victorire 1904. Its a
beautiful oil painting of a mountain surrounded by trees. The colors are amazing; Cool
blues towards that top that transition into warmer yellows and browns. There are many
lost and found lines in this painting. The edge of one tree may be soft and almost
blending into the background, and then another tree with be a sharp contrast against

the background. I love how he incorporates green into the sky to create some sort of
balance between the blue of the sky and the deep greens used in the trees. He also
brings some of the blues used in the sky and layers them down in thick brush strokes in
the grass. The details of the painting are simplified so wonderfully. Looking closely you
can see that there are clear shapes in the trees. They all resemble spheres. In the center
of the painting there is a somewhat triangle effect created by the trees and foreground. I
really love this painting.
Why: I read about the painting I chose in a book that I got at an art show I went to a
couple years back. The book is called Monet to Dali: Impressionist and Modern
Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. I read that this painting is part of a
series that he painted during the last 20 years of his life. Sainte Victoire is a mountain
that lies east of his home in Aix-en-Provence. Apparently the series is considered one
of the most revolutionary in the history of art, for in it the artist increasingly compressed
space into an integrated configuration of intersecting planes according to my book.
Describe what emotions you feel this painting portrays and explain how the artist used
the Principles and Elements of Design to convey these feelings.
Describe your emotions: This painting has an heir of calmness about it. The cool colors
of the sky compliment the warmer colors of the foreground. The large brush strokes are
easy to look at and they give the painting a relaxed feeling. I really love the way that
Cezanne simplifies the trees and bushes into geometric shapes. I think the overall

feeling of this painting is serenity, contentment, peace, and maybe just a hint of sadness.
I say that it might have a hint of sadness to it because of the dark colors used in the trees
and bushes. While the painting incorporates an alternation of both warm and cool
colors; the coolness of the blues, greens, and dark purples outweigh the warm yellows
and browns.
Artist's style: Cezannes style emphasizes two dimensional elements such as color and
line. His paintings are somewhat impressionistic in that he uses large, defined brush
strokes and aims more to create forms rather than getting too caught up in minute
details. Shapes play a large part in his paintings. Cezanne paints in a unique, stylized
way. I love the way he lays down brush strokes and colors. He is an amazing painting
and considered by some as the father of modern art.

Sources:
1. Paul Czanne: French Draftsman and Painter. The art story.com website.
Retrieved 5:30PM, Jun 20, 2015, from http://www.theartstory.org/artistcezanne-paul.htm
2. Paul Czanne. (2015). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 11:25AM,
Jun 23, 2015, from http://www.biography.com/people/paul-czanne-9542036.
3. William H. Robinson. Monet to Dali: Impressionist and Modern
Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art
in Association with Hudson Hills Press 2007.