What do you think?
Rate this book
The Art of Cezanne with 171 Illustrations
Excerpt from The Art of Cezanne
The problem of the observer is to recognize this individuality and to share the values communicated in and through it. He must be able to identify plastic form when he encounters it in a picture, that is, to distinguish between an organic union of insights won by personal experience, and plastic clich�s assembled according to a stereotyped formula. He must, in brief, learn to see, and the process is long and arduous, involving as it does constant practice in the sharpening of perceptions of color, of the play of light and shadow, of the sequence and rhythm of line and mass, of the inter relationships between these factors that endow each of them with meaning. It requires a knowledge of the traditions of painting and of the technical means by which the artist works. Competently applied, the process yields results inaccessible to casual or un trained observation, and when guided by scientific method it de velops an objective criterion or standard of judgment of the same order of certitude as the findings of pure science.
Our efforts to apply the scientific method to a study of C� zaune's work has required a detailed examination of his technique and form, as they emerged throughout the course of his develop ment. The investigation began twenty-five years ago, and by 1925 had reached a stage that seemed to warrant publication of a sec tion, entitled The Development of C�zanne's Technique, in the first edition of our book The Art in Painting. 1 This chapter was omitted from subsequent editions because continued study of a steadily increasing number of C�zanne's pictures showed the data upon which it was based to have been inadequate. Our study, as presented herewith, amplifies the earlier investigation by including the significant findings of detailed analyses of practically all of C�zanne's important paintings, from the beginning to the end of his career.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
The problem of the observer is to recognize this individuality and to share the values communicated in and through it. He must be able to identify plastic form when he encounters it in a picture, that is, to distinguish between an organic union of insights won by personal experience, and plastic clich�s assembled according to a stereotyped formula. He must, in brief, learn to see, and the process is long and arduous, involving as it does constant practice in the sharpening of perceptions of color, of the play of light and shadow, of the sequence and rhythm of line and mass, of the inter relationships between these factors that endow each of them with meaning. It requires a knowledge of the traditions of painting and of the technical means by which the artist works. Competently applied, the process yields results inaccessible to casual or un trained observation, and when guided by scientific method it de velops an objective criterion or standard of judgment of the same order of certitude as the findings of pure science.
Our efforts to apply the scientific method to a study of C� zaune's work has required a detailed examination of his technique and form, as they emerged throughout the course of his develop ment. The investigation began twenty-five years ago, and by 1925 had reached a stage that seemed to warrant publication of a sec tion, entitled The Development of C�zanne's Technique, in the first edition of our book The Art in Painting. 1 This chapter was omitted from subsequent editions because continued study of a steadily increasing number of C�zanne's pictures showed the data upon which it was based to have been inadequate. Our study, as presented herewith, amplifies the earlier investigation by including the significant findings of detailed analyses of practically all of C�zanne's important paintings, from the beginning to the end of his career.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
456 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1986
1 person is currently reading
4 people want to read
About the author
Paul Cézanne
210 books31 followersPaul Cézanne was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically different world of art in the 20th century. Cézanne can be said to form the bridge between late 19th century Impressionism and the early 20th century's new line of artistic enquiry, Cubism. The line attributed to both Matisse and Picasso that Cézanne "is the father of us all" cannot be easily dismissed.
Cézanne's work demonstrates a mastery of design, colour, composition and draftsmanship. His often repetitive, sensitive and exploratory brushstrokes are highly characteristic and clearly recognizable. He used planes of colour and small brushstrokes that build up to form complex fields, at once both a direct expression of the sensations of the observing eye and an abstraction from observed nature. The paintings convey Cézanne's intense study of his subjects, a searching gaze and a dogged struggle to deal with the complexity of human visual perception.
Cézanne's work demonstrates a mastery of design, colour, composition and draftsmanship. His often repetitive, sensitive and exploratory brushstrokes are highly characteristic and clearly recognizable. He used planes of colour and small brushstrokes that build up to form complex fields, at once both a direct expression of the sensations of the observing eye and an abstraction from observed nature. The paintings convey Cézanne's intense study of his subjects, a searching gaze and a dogged struggle to deal with the complexity of human visual perception.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 23, 2025
a little dense but interesting enough
Displaying 1 of 1 review