The banks of a river (Les Berges) 1888 - 1890

Editor: We're looking at "The banks of a river," or "Les Berges," a watercolor drawing by Paul Cézanne, made around 1888 to 1890. It feels quite…dreamlike, almost hazy. What do you see in this piece, from a historical perspective? Curator: Well, its dreamlike quality is partly rooted in the evolving role of landscape painting in the late 19th century. Cézanne, although shown at the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874, stands slightly apart from Impressionism. How would you describe the public's expectations around landscape art at this time? Editor: I suppose people were getting tired of academic landscapes, wanting something more real, less staged. Curator: Precisely! There was a growing desire to represent the world more authentically. Yet, consider the Salon system: while claiming objectivity, landscapes were inevitably intertwined with ideas about national identity and control of the gaze. The public consumption of art shaped both its production and reception. Editor: So, Cézanne’s haziness…it's a rejection of that clarity? Curator: Exactly. Instead of portraying a perfectly manicured scene as found in earlier Salon painting, he presents us with something fragmented. Do you notice how the river seems almost absent, blended with the shore? Cézanne's approach disrupts conventional power dynamics embedded in traditional landscapes, opening up more subjective engagement with the natural world. It challenges the audience to build their own interpretation rather than consuming the "truth." Editor: So, even in watercolor, he's making a statement. I hadn’t thought about the politics of landscape before! Curator: It's always there, subtly shaping how we see, interpret, and ultimately, value the world around us. This seemingly innocent watercolour actually encapsulates key debates around representation, authority and truth. Editor: I will never look at a landscape the same way again. Thank you.