The Road 1871

Paul Cézanne made this oil painting, "The Road," using traditional materials. But the way he applied the paint was anything but traditional. Look closely at the surface, and you can see how Cézanne built up the image with distinct, blocky brushstrokes. Instead of blending the colors smoothly, he let each stroke stand alone, almost like individual tiles in a mosaic. This technique gives the painting a textured, almost three-dimensional quality. He wasn’t interested in creating an illusion of reality. Instead, he wanted to explore how we see and perceive the world. By breaking down the scene into its most basic components, Cézanne encourages us to consider the act of looking itself. Cezanne's approach to painting was revolutionary. He elevated the act of seeing to a form of making, where the artist engages in active labor to bring forth an artwork.