L'Estaque
Paul Cézanne
French, 1839–1906
1879-83
An oil painting of the Mediterranean coast at L'Estaque in which Cézanne reduces the landscape to interlocking planes of color and brushwork to capture its underlying structure.
At first glance you notice broad, parallel brushstrokes and blocky, simplified masses—pine trees, roofs, rocks and the distant sea rendered as a mosaic of muted blues, greens, and ochres that both model form and subtly flatten space.
Painted in 1879–83, this work marks Cézanne's move away from fleeting Impressionist effects toward an analytical treatment of form and color that helped open the path to Cubism and modern abstraction.
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
31 1/2 x 39" (80.3 x 99.4 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
The William S. Paley Collection
Accession
716.1959
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
