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Paul Cézanne (artist) French, 1839 - 1906 House of Père Lacroix, 1873 oil on canvas Overall: 61.3 x 50.6 cm (24 1/8 x 19 15/16 in.) framed: 83.2 x 71.7 cm (32 3/4 x 28 1/4 in.) Chester Dale Collection 1963.10.102 |
Object 6 of 7
When Cézanne first arrived in Paris, his pigments were dark and heavy, often applied with a palette knife. In later years he remembered that it was Pissarro who had brightened his palette and told him “Never paint except with the three primary colors.” The bright hues and quickly worked brushstrokes reveal the effect of Pissarro’s influence. Greens and yellows contrast in the foreground, and multihued vertical drags of the brush recreate watery reflections. Cool shadows contrast with the orange of a tiled roof. Light emphasizes the blond planes of the building, which is shaded with blues, greens, and mauves, and where broad strokes and heavier paint convey texture.
The elaborate signature and date are unusual in Cézanne’s work. Perhaps he intended the picture for public exhibition—at the urging of Pissarro, three of his paintings were included in the first impressionist show—or for a patron. In 1873 Cézanne moved to the village of Auvers, where this was painted. It was near Pissarro’s home, and the two of them often worked side by side during 1873 and 1874. Auvers was also home to Dr. Gachet, a collector who would later care for the despairing Van Gogh. Cézanne may have hoped Gachet would purchase his work, which was ignored by the public. Cézanne returned to Provence and, after inheriting his father’s large estate in 1886, largely abandoned efforts to promote his work. He did not realize commercial success until he was in his fifties.
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