Smarthistory: Paul Cézanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire

Overview

• Presenter: Dr. Ben Harvey
• Artwork: Paul Cézanne, Mont Sainte-Victoire
  • Date: 1902-04
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Location: Philadelphia Museum of Art
  • Dimensions: 73 x 91.9 cm
• Speakers: Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris

Key Themes and Analysis

Mont Sainte-Victoire

• Located in Aix-en-Provence, Cézanne's hometown.
• Height: 3317 feet (1011 meters).
• Despite its modest height, it is a prominent feature in Cézanne’s work.
• Associated with Cézanne’s landscapes and still lifes.

Historical Context

• The mountain features in Cézanne’s works from the 1870s.
• Early appearance: included in "The Railway Cutting" (1870) and "Bathers at Rest" (1876-77).
• Consistent inclusion post-1880s, after embracing Impressionism.

Series of Paintings

• Cézanne returned to the mountain motif throughout his career.
• Over two dozen paintings and watercolors from these later years.
• Consistent viewpoint from Les Lauves, north of Aix.

Studio and Perspective

• Cézanne built a studio on Les Lauves in 1901.
• Frequent walks to view and paint the mountain.
• Documented by contemporaries like Emile Bernard and Maurice Denis.

The Philadelphia Painting

• Composition divided into three horizontal sections: foliage and houses, plains, and the mountain.
• Use of color: blues, violets, greys, with accents of green.
• Subtle adjustments and use of diagonals to create depth and balance.
• Cézanne evokes a sense of both flatness and depth.

Artistic Technique

• Cézanne maintained awareness of both surface and depth.
• Utilized a complex interplay of lines and edges to convey volume.
• The left peak seems higher due to the viewpoint, not topography.
• Cross "la croix de Provence" not depicted in paintings.

Personal Connection

• Cézanne had a personal and professional connection with the mountain.
• Familiarity through youthful excursions and plein-air painting.
• Stood on the mountain in 1895, integrating personal experience with art.

Contextual Comparisons

• The painting compared with other works and photos for perceptual clarity.
• Cézanne’s depiction was both imaginative and topographically respectful.

Conclusion

• Cézanne’s "Mont Sainte-Victoire" reflects his deep connection to the landscape.
• Demonstrates the interplay of artistic vision and geographical reality.
• Continues to be a subject of admiration and study in art history.

Related Works

• Mention of other notable works by Cézanne and contemporaries like Van Gogh and Gauguin.

Additional Resources

• Smarthistory: Offers free, award-winning digital content to make art history accessible.
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