Cézanne in Provence

by Philip Conisbee, Denis Coutagne

Published on the centenary of the death of Paul Cézanne (1839–1906), this stunning book celebrates the artist’s depictions of his native Provence. While Cézanne is recognized as one of the fathers of the modern movement, this publication focuses on his own sense of achievement, especially as a painter exploring the landscape in and around his hometown of Aix-en- Provence. Although he spent time elsewhere in France, especially Paris, Cézanne repeatedly returned to Provence, where he lived nearly all of the last twenty years of his life.In studios at the Jas de Bouffan and at Les Lauves, and on painting expeditions into the surrounding countryside, Cézanne created some of his most original and compelling works, not only landscapes but also portraits of  local characters, friends, and family; still lifes, and imaginative figure paintings, such as the monumental bathers painted in the last decade of his life.Beautifully illustrated with some 160 paintings and watercolors, Cézanne in Provence offers fascinating insights into a true genius in the history of art and his beloved native countryside.

Genres: France, Art

350 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jonathan Frederick Walz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as an exploration of the relationship between place and art. The world of the south of France is storied in its impact on European art, and this is a decent telling of how that came to be.

The level of detail in the text came to be eventually to much of a burden for me to slog through, but I could speed-read and make sense of it with the accompanying high-quality prints of a good selection of Cezanne's works.

My own value system doesn't include enough space to understand spending one's entire existence in this life finding ways of spreading paint on canvas. M Cezanne was born to a family and a culture that saw that as admirable, and today's market has validated that quest with commensurate rewards.

I can appreciate the beauty his work captures, and certainly have no lack of appreciation for beauty. But a lifetime is a long time to use with such an exclusive focus.

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realized that I had this catalog on my shelf so I decided to actually read through it. Had seen the exhibition at the National Gallery of Art a few years ago. Reading the catalog was a way to revisit the exhibition which I liked very much. Essays are probably more interesting to an art historian than the lay public. They're a little too dry and repetitive, focusing more on the Cezanne's affinity with Provence and its relationship to his artist expression than on the individual works per se. Nevertheless, it was a worthwhile read for the revisit to particular Cezanne works viewed as part of the exhibition. Nice to have a time to view them again, even from the page of a book.