1839
–
1906
Paul Cézanne was a French Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundation for modern art. Seeking to “make of Impressionism something solid and durable,” he developed a unique approach to form and colour that bridged 19th-century naturalism and 20th-century abstraction. His studies of Mont Sainte-Victoire and still lifes with fruit became iconic for their structural composition and subtle shifts in tone. Cézanne’s emphasis on underlying geometry and volume influenced artists like Picasso and Matisse. Though underappreciated during much of his life, Cézanne is now hailed as a father of modernism for his visionary transformation of visual perception.
