Paul Cézanne

NAME Paul Cézanne

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Paul Cézanne is renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to Post-Impressionist painting. His unique style, characterized by a focus on form, structure, and color, had a profound influence on the development of modern art.

BIRTH Paul Cézanne was born on January 19, 1839, in Aix-en-Provence, a town in the Provence region in the South of France.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Cézanne's father, Louis-Auguste Cézanne, was a successful banker who co-founded a banking firm. This provided Paul with financial security throughout his life, which was uncommon for many of his contemporaries. His homemaker mother's name was Anne-Elisabeth Honorine Aubert.

CHILDHOOD Paul grew up in a financially comfortable household in Aix-en-Provence, where he enjoyed the freedom to explore the natural landscapes that later inspired his artwork. His father's prosperity allowed him a relatively privileged upbringing.

EDUCATION In 1852, Cézanne entered the Collège Bourbon (now known as Collège Mignet) in Aix-en-Provence, where he formed a close friendship with Émile Zola, who would become a famous writer, and Baptistin Baille, a future professor of optics and acoustics. The trio became known as "les trois inséparables" ("the three inseparables").

Paul Cézanne enrolled in the law faculty at the University of Aix-en-Provence in 1859, attending lectures in jurisprudence. Although he spent two years pursuing these studies, he grew increasingly disinterested, neglecting them in favor of drawing and writing poetry. Beginning in 1859, Cézanne also took evening classes at the École de dessin d'Aix-en-Provence.

 Despite his father's objections, Cézanne left Aix for Paris in 1861 to pursue his passion for art, encouraged by Zola.

CAREER RECORD Cézanne struggled for years to gain recognition. His work was often criticized for its unconventional style, but he persisted. It was not until he was 56 that he had his first solo exhibition. Over his career, Cézanne produced numerous works that were initially met with disdain but eventually garnered critical acclaim, establishing him as one of the most influential painters in art history.

APPEARANCE Paul Cézanne was  known for his stern and rugged appearance, often depicted with a bushy beard and intense, thoughtful eyes. His portraits capture a man with a solid, determined demeanor, reflecting his passionate commitment to his art.

Cezanne in 1899 

FASHION Cézanne had little concern for fashion or contemporary styles. He often wore plain, practical clothes suitable for painting outdoors or working in his studio.

CHARACTER Cézanne was known for his irascible and temperamental nature, often described as solitary, intense, and uncompromising. He was deeply committed to his craft and demanded perfection from himself and others, leading to a reputation as a difficult and demanding figure.

Sitting for one of Paul Cézanne's portraits was no fun. The notoriously temperamental artist insisted that his subjects "hold their pose like an apple" for hours at a time. If anyone dared to move, he would bellow, "Does an apple move?"

SENSE OF HUMOUR While often serious, Cézanne had a sharp, sardonic sense of humor. He once taught his pet parrot to say, "Paul Cézanne is a great painter," reflecting both his wit and his awareness of the criticism he faced.

RELATIONSHIPS Cézanne had a tumultuous personal life. He spent 17 years with his mistress and muse, Hortense Fiquet, whom he married on april 28,  1886. Despite their long relationship, they lived apart for much of their marriage, especially after the death of Cézanne's father, when the couple separated. Cézanne moved in with his sister and mother, stating, "My wife only cares for Switzerland and lemonade." 

Hortense Cézanne in a Red Dress, c.1890

Cézanne had a tumultuous relationship with his father, who disapproved of his artistic pursuits. He also struggled with personal relationships, often isolating himself from others.

His friendship with Émile Zola ended after Zola used him as a model for a failed artist in his novel "L'Oeuvre."

MONEY AND FAME Thanks to his father’s successful banking business, Cézanne was financially secure, allowing him to focus on his art without the burden of financial strain. However, he struggled for many years to gain recognition in the art world, achieving fame only later in life.

FOOD AND DRINK Cézanne's culinary tastes were simple and in keeping with his provincial roots. He was known to have a fondness for local Provençal cuisine.

MUSIC AND ARTS Cézanne’s artistic focus was primarily on painting. He is known to have had limited engagement with music, focusing his creative energies entirely on visual arts.

Paul Cézanne's most famous painting is arguably The Card Players series, created between 1890 and 1895. This series consists of five paintings depicting Provençal peasants playing cards, and it is celebrated for its complex composition, rich color palette, and masterful use of form and perspective.

The Card Players

Imagine a guy named Paul Cézanne, painting away in a sleepy French town. He'd started out copying the old masters, but something wasn't quite right. So he started messing around with the way he saw things, painting in these weird, choppy strokes that looked like he was trying to put a jigsaw puzzle together blindfolded.

People looked at his stuff and went, "What the heck is that?" But a few other artists, like this guy Pissarro and a dealer named Vollard, saw something special. They started buying his paintings, and eventually, people realized that Cézanne had turned the art world upside down.

Matisse and Picasso, these two big names in art, even said Cézanne was like the dad of all modern painters. Talk about a late bloomer!

LITERATURE Cézanne was a reader and was influenced by literature, particularly through his friendship with Émile Zola. However, this relationship became strained when Zola's novel portrayed a tragic, failed artist reminiscent of Cézanne, leading to a permanent rift between the two.

NATURE Cézanne had a profound appreciation for nature, which is evident in his landscapes of Provence, such as Mont Sainte-Victoire. He believed that art should align harmoniously with the natural world, saying, "When I judge art, I take my painting and put it next to a God-made object like a tree or flower. If it clashes, it is not art."

Mont Sainte-Victoire were part of a series of paintings Cézanne created of the mountain near his home in Aix-en-Provence. These paintings are known for their vibrant colors and innovative brushwork, capturing the changing light and atmosphere of the landscape. The series is considered a landmark in the development of modern art, particularly influencing Cubism.

PETS Cézanne had a pet parrot called Bizou that he taught to say, "Paul Cézanne is a great painter." This reflects both his humor and his frustration with the criticism he faced.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Cézanne had few hobbies outside of painting. His devotion to his craft left little room for leisure activities, and he was known to work tirelessly in pursuit of his artistic vision.

SCIENCE AND MATHS Cézanne's friendship with Baptistin Baille, a professor of optics and acoustics, suggests an interest in scientific inquiry, particularly in how it could inform his understanding of light, color, and form in painting.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY A devout Roman Catholic, Cézanne’s spiritual beliefs influenced his view of art, as he sought to capture the divine in nature.

SCANDAL Cézanne was often at the center of controversy due to his unconventional style, which was initially met with harsh criticism. 

MILITARY RECORD Cézanne moved back to Provence to avoid military service during the Franco-Prussian War, where he continued painting, including works like L'Estaque, Melting Snow.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Cézanne's health was generally good, although he was known to suffer from occasional bouts of depression. However, his physical condition deteriorated rapidly in his final years. He contracted pneumonia after being caught in a storm while painting outdoors, which ultimately led to his death.

HOMES Cézanne lived in various places throughout his life, primarily in Aix-en-Provence and Paris. His childhood home in Aix remained important to him, and he often returned there throughout his life.

TRAVEL Cézanne traveled between Aix-en-Provence and Paris throughout his career, but he did not travel extensively outside of France.

DEATH Paul Cézanne died on October 22, 1906, from pneumonia after being caught in a storm while painting outdoors. He was 67 years old and was buried in the Saint-Pierre Cemetery in his hometown of Aix-en-Provence.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Cézanne has been portrayed in numerous books, documentaries, and films about his life and art, reflecting his enduring impact on the art world.

ACHIEVEMENTS Cézanne is regarded as one of the greatest painters of all time, credited with bridging the gap between Impressionism and Cubism. His exploration of geometric simplification and optical phenomena in his paintings has had a profound influence on the development of modern art.