Paul Cezanne - Post-Impressionist Painter

Artist Paul Cezanne was born on January 19, 1839 in Aix-en-Provence, Provence. His father was a successful banker. From 1852 to 1859, he attended College Bourbon where he became friends with writer Emile Zola. In 1861, he attended law school at the University of Aix and also took drawing lessons. He left school without getting his degree and moved to Paris on the advice of Zola. His father gave in and accepted his son’s choice to be an artist and gave him 400,000 francs as well as an annuity of 100 francs.

While in Paris, Cezanne befriended Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro who became a mentor. In 1863, Cezanne had his first exhibition at the Salon des Refuses after being rejected by the Salon de Paris. He also exhibited at many of the exhibitions of the Impressionist artists such as Seurat, Renoir and Monet.

In 1872, Cezanne and his mistress Marie-Hortense Figuet had a son, Paul. The couple eventually married in 1886; they reportedly had an uneven relationship that resulted in many separations. He wrote his wife out of his will in 1902. Beginning in 1890, Cezanne had many health problems including diabetes. In 1891, he became a Catholic.

Paul Cezanne died on October 22, 1906 of pneumonia.

Cezanne remains a popular artist today and influenced modern artists like Picasso and Braque.

We live in a rainbow of chaos.

Right now a moment is fleeting by! Capture its reality in paint! To do that we must put all else out of our minds. We must become that moment, make ourselves a sensitive recording plate. give the image of what we actually see, forgetting everything that has been seen before our time.

For an impressionist to paint from nature is not to paint the subject, but to realize sensations.

Painting from nature is not copying the object; it is realizing one's sensations.