Umbrella Carré Delos Aurillac "La montagne ste victoire" by Paul CEZANNE

The artist's biography

La montagne Sainte-Victoire – Paul Cezanne – 1839/1906

Paul Cézanne was born in Aix-en-Provence in 1839 into a wealthy family. By 1862, he was attending the Académie Suisse, where he studied and copied works by Delacroix, Courbet, Rubens or Vélasquez with great interest. He spent a lot of time at the Louvre and regularly saw his friend Emile Zola, whom he had known since middle school. Having found his vocation, Cézanne then painted his first works, showing a romantic inspiration and a taste for allegories. He made an attempt at painting in a style closer to realism through still life studies.

After living in Paris and Aix-en-Provence, he moved to Auvers-sur-Oise in 1872. Helped by his friend Pissarro, he developed his technique there and composed his first impressionist paintings. He tried to capture the transience of rural scenes, using small strokes of colour and working outdoors. However, the public did not appreciate his work so he chose to break with the Parisian impressionist school and returned to his native Provence.

Between 1880 and 1890, he produced several hundred paintings, including over 80 studies of Montagne Sainte-Victoire. He moved away from the impressionist technique through his search for synthesis in shapes. He tried to capture the essence and reveal the geometric framework. He also sculpted the subject by placing touches of paint on his canvas, with a relief and direction that strongly evoked the volume of the painting’s subject.

Cézanne rarely exhibited following his past failures. However, in 1895, the art dealer Ambroise Vollard organized an exhibition devoted to him, which displayed 150 of his works. After that, many art galleries displayed his paintings and his reputation never stopped growing. Cézanne then became a source of inspiration for young artists. He was also recognized subsequently as one of the forerunners of the Cubist movement.