Pommes Et Poires c. 1882 - 1885

Paul Cézanne, a French artist, made this watercolor painting of ‘Pommes et Poires,’ or Apples and Pears, at the turn of the 20th century. Cézanne and his impressionist contemporaries were working at a time of great social change in France. The academic art institutions favored grand historical paintings, and Cézanne rebelled against these norms. He was interested in something new: art that was about itself. In this painting, apples and pears are placed on a table without narrative or meaning. The artist is simply observing and recording the way light falls on these objects. Notice that Cézanne used thin washes of color and left many areas of the paper untouched. Cézanne paved the way for modern art by exploring the building blocks of painting. Understanding the social and artistic context helps us appreciate the radical nature of his simple still life. We can consult historical documents, art criticism, and biographies to learn more about Cézanne's place in art history.