The Large Bather
1885
Cézanne was obsessed with bathers, painting them over and over to figure out how to make Impressionism 'solid and durable,' like the art in museums. Here, a lone bather stands with hands on hips, looking a bit like a statue carved out of flesh rather than a soft, fleshy human. The background is a wash of cool blues and greens, suggesting a riverbank, but the figure feels almost architectural, built from blocks of color. It's a perfect example of how Cézanne bridged the gap between Impressionism and Cubism, treating the human body like just another shape in the landscape.
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