Pot of Geraniums 1885

Editor: So, this is Cézanne's "Pot of Geraniums" from 1885, done in watercolor. It’s really simple, just a potted plant, but something about the looseness of the brushstrokes makes it feel… unfinished, almost like a memory. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What strikes me is how Cézanne captures the very essence of 'plant-ness' without striving for botanic accuracy. Geraniums, you know, often symbolize domesticity and comfort, but here, they are rendered with a deliberate crudeness, defying easy categorization. Notice the heavy, almost labored, strokes – they betray a deeper cultural narrative. How does the potted form affect your reading of the image? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't really thought about the cultural associations, but you're right, the roughness does complicate things. Maybe the pot domesticates it, bringing the wildness of nature indoors, but also containing it? Curator: Precisely! And consider how often in art history, flowers represent transience and beauty. Cézanne, however, gives us something that feels grounded, permanent. He's digging for the underlying structure. Can you sense the underlying forms he’s searching for in the leaves and the pot itself? Editor: Now that you mention it, the shapes do seem simplified, almost geometric. It’s less about the flower and more about the form itself. I'm starting to think about it as less about capturing a geranium and more about seeing how shapes make it exist at all. Curator: Exactly. Through his individual and enduring pursuit of seeing. So, what started as simple object recognition opens a dialogue on perception and cultural encoding. Editor: I see what you mean! I will consider this view on visual objects as encoded cultural symbols moving forward. Thanks.