Large Bathers 1905

Paul Cézanne made these Large Bathers with oil paint at a time we don't know. Look at that blue, it’s a funny blue, isn't it? Almost like he couldn’t decide if it should be sky, water, or just plain atmosphere. You can see how Cézanne is pushing paint around, one patch right next to the other. The figures and the landscape become almost the same, it’s like he's building the whole thing up out of color and shape. Check out the standing figure on the left, the way he’s mixed green into the flesh tones, making her blend into the trees behind. It's like he's asking what does it mean to see something, and how can he show that process on the canvas. It reminds me a bit of some of Picasso's early work, that same feeling of figures emerging and dissolving. Ultimately, it's a painting that leaves you with more questions than answers, and that’s what keeps it interesting.