Paul Cezanne, Self-portrait with a White Turban, 1882

Cezanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence, France

Cezanne, like many artists, built a “window wall” on the north side of his studio to take advantage of the diffused north light.  The studio walls, which originally were white but interfered with the light, Cezanne painted the perfect shade of grey. He also had wooden floors he left unpolished so they wouldn’t reflect the sunlight.

“The studio is on the first floor. Living accommodation had been created on the ground floor, but Cézanne ended up using this mainly to store his canvasses - up to 2,000 of them - and continued to reside in an apartment in the city, at 23 rue Boulegon.”

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Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), Self-Portrait in a Straw Hat, 1875-76. MoMA

“I could paint for a hundred years, a thousand years without stopping and I would still feel as though I knew nothing.”

   -    Paul Cezanne

Paul Cézanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence

Paul Cezanne, Self-Portrait in a Casquette.   Hermitage.

A poetic letter written by Cezanne to art critic and friend Gustave Geffroy. The letter regards an auction that was held by Geffroy in which three of Cezanne’s paintings sold for significant prices. Geffory praised Cezanne’s work and compared him to likes of Gauguin and Van Gogh. 

  “I read yesterday the long treatise that you devoted to bringing to light the endeavors I have made in painting. I wanted to express to you my gratitude for the sympathetic understanding I found in you.” The letter ends with “Please accept my thanks and very best regards. Paul Cezanne.”

Paul Cezanne

Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, “Portrait de Cézanne”, pastel, 1880, Art Institute of Chicago.

Paul Cézanne [center] with Camille Pissarro [right]   ©Copyright reserved, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

Paul Cézanne, Self-Portrait with a Beret, c. 1898–99.  MFA, Boston

Paul Cezanne