Orchard 1882

Curator: Here we have Paul Cezanne's "Orchard", painted in 1882. It's an oil painting, likely created en plein air, and a striking example of his move toward Post-Impressionism. Editor: My initial reaction is this place is wonderfully claustrophobic. Not in a bad way! More like intensely intimate, all tangled trees and that glimpse of something, a building maybe, hidden behind. It’s a sensory overload, like stepping into the earth’s embrace. Curator: Absolutely. You're seeing the very things that made Cezanne radical. Consider the time; Impressionism was at its peak, emphasizing fleeting moments and light. Cezanne, while adopting some of those plein air methods, sought structure, permanence, and geometry. Notice the underlying architectural structure in the forms he uses even in nature. Editor: The architectural is really a revelation. The blocks of colour forming the impression of depth feel at once very real, tangible somehow. It is as if there is substance and volume here, not just trees but solid geometrical objects in the guise of vegetation! Curator: Precisely. And his famous use of the 'constructive stroke' is very apparent. He’s not blending colours smoothly to create an illusion. Instead, he builds the image with these individual dabs and planes of colour. These techniques revolutionized art’s understanding of space. You can almost anticipate Cubism which developed directly from Cezanne's style of image making. Editor: This idea of blocks to construct the space feels quite current. What about the political implications; this intense private garden as opposed to social garden of impressionist era. The green overwhelms, doesn't it? Everything’s green. The eye travels deep into this immersive place. Almost like a dream state? Curator: Interesting thought, indeed. Although seemingly an innocent landscape, in Cezanne’s time the rapid industrialisation threatened traditional life in France. So, in his landscapes, particularly outside of Paris, like this orchard, it presents a longing and desire to go back to the old way of life in France! And like I said this intimate portrait gives one space to dream. Editor: Yes it is like he gives himself the private space to dream of a life, away from Parisian modernity. "Orchard" presents a calming alternative vision of France, and world to the impressionist streets and dances. Curator: It indeed opens a new way of thinking of private gardens, landscape art, modernity and nature's position, in our contemporary society.