Cezanne: The Greatest Artist, Yet Most Unrecognized

It is true; Paul Cezanne is one of the greatest postimpressionists and is referred to as "the father of modern art," though most can not recognize a "Cezanne" when they see one. I did not realize this until I tried to do so myself. Yes, his innovative style, use of prospective, composition and color forever changed the way painters approach the canvas by teaching them to follow muses, but how is it he is so unrecognized? Could it be because he was so misunderstood, ridiculed and discredited for most of his life? Could it be because he was a deeply troubled man trying to free himself of personal demons through art? Or, could it be because his goal was to satisfy himself, not to have a mass audience or sales appeal?

Paul Cezanne (born: January 19, 1839) was in pursuit of his artistic interests strictly in isolation. What do I mean by that? Simply put, he rarely exhibited. Even though he went beyond the interests of impressionists in the individual brush stroke and the fall of light on to objects, his pictures are still thought to be restrained, impersonal and remote. His intent was to perfect the balance between nature and art by creating "something more solid and durable, like that of the art museums." Despite these facts and his obsession with form over content, his work was still a great influence in the aesthetic development on many 20th century artists and art movements. Especially cubism, which is an art form stressing the abstract structure at the expense of other pictorial elements dealing primarily with geometric forms with no realistic detail.

Something else I found particularly interesting about this artist is he studied law while taking drawing classes from 1859 to 1861. Though it was against his father's wishes, he dropped law for art in 1861. He decided to move to Paris with his close friend and mentor, novelist Emile Zola. It was not long after their move that he became an outsider from the impressionist circle he met. From 1864 to 1869, work submitted to the Salon was routinely rejected. This pushed him further into isolation, having great impact on his relationship with Zola.

His latest artistic phase involved studies of landscapes, bathers and still life's. Each landscape was not a copied scene; rather scenes conjured from his imagination. His study of bathers was his only true passion in art, though it was never revealed on canvas. Still life pieces he created reflected simplicity and delicacy in total harmony. By his death (October 22, 1906), his work was finally beginning to be shown across Europe. It became a fundamental influence on the fauves, those who use pure, brilliant color, applied straight from the paint tubes in an aggressive direct manner to create a sense of an explosion on the canvas.

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