Paul Cezanne Research Paper

Paul Cezanne, a famous French artist, and Post-Impressionist painter who made his fame by first painting portraits of family, making him a very important part of the ninetieth century, which started the transition of artistic endeavor to a completely new world of art to the twentieth century. Paul Cezanne was born on January 19, 1839 in Aix-en-Provence, France. While Paul was growing up, his parents affected a lot of the choices that were made. Paul’s father, Louis Auguste Cezanne was a wealthy lawyer and a co-founder of a banking firm that afforded “him financial security that was unavailable to most of his contemporaries and eventually resulting in a large inheritance” (Paul Cezanne Biography). Louis wanted Paul to follow in his footsteps

On the side, he was able to take drawing classes. In 1861, his parents eventually agreed on allowing him to go Paris and study art at the Ecole des Beaux-Art but his application was rejected. From there, he went to Academie Suisse, which is also in Paris and got to study famous artists such as, Diego Velazquez and Caravaggio. Unfortunately for Cezanne, he was only in Paris for five months due to undergoing depression when he learned that his skill level was not as high as some of the other students. During this time, Paul Cezanne develops a style that was dark and powerful. He was painting pictures with darker lights and shadows. These pictures seemed to be influenced by Delaroix’s swirling compositions, and works of Maurice de Vlaminck and Georges Rouault. Around 1870, he painted pictures with a palette knife. These works were called ‘une couillarde’. Usually these paintings were dark and gloomy. He started his career with painting portraits of his friends and family. “In contrast to the passion and violence of his imaginative works these have a notable sobriety and detachment.” (Oxford Art Online). His early works were mostly figures on plain landscapes and was said to have been “mostly produced out imagination” (The Famous