Paul Cézanne

Biography

Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) was a French painter whose innovative approach to form, color, and composition profoundly influenced the development of modern art, particularly Cubism. Born on January 19, 1839, in Aix-en-Provence, France, Cézanne initially pursued law but chose to dedicate his life to painting, studying at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and learning from established artists while developing his own distinctive style.

Cézanne’s work bridges Impressionism and modernist abstraction. He focused on the underlying structure of natural forms, using color modulation and geometric simplification to depict landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. Iconic works include Mont Sainte-Victoire, The Basket of Apples, and The Card Players, which exemplify his attention to spatial relationships and his methodical layering of paint.

Although his work was initially met with criticism, Cézanne’s innovative techniques influenced generations of artists, including Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. He died on October 22, 1906, in Aix-en-Provence, leaving a legacy as a pioneering figure whose exploration of form and color reshaped the course of 20th-century art.