Stillleben mit Äpfeln und Pfirsichen
c. 1905
Cézanne was obsessed with fruit, painting apples and peaches over and over until he practically invented modern art. In this lively scene, a plate of fruit sits on a table that seems to tilt forward, defying gravity and traditional perspective. The draped cloth and patterned background create a cozy, almost chaotic energy, showing how he built forms using patches of color rather than strict lines. He once told a fellow artist to 'treat nature by the cylinder, the sphere, the cone,' and you can see those geometric shapes hiding in the roundness of the fruit. It's no wonder Picasso called him 'the father of us all.'
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Location: National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.