Cézanne

An elegant and focused survey for the "father of modern art," with special emphasis on his later works

Paul Cézanne is unquestionably one of the most influential artists of the 19th century and a pivotal figure in the history of modern art. Often described as a pioneer of modernism, he broke away from conventions and redefined how we perceive space, structure and color. By deliberately rejecting the rules of linear perspective, Cézanne sought to capture the complexity of visual experience, constructing the world through subtle modulations of color and form. His radical approach laid the foundation for Cubism and profoundly influenced the emergence of abstraction in the 20th century.
This catalog accompanies a major exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler. Focusing on the most significant phase of Cézanne's career, it explores motifs that preoccupied him in his later years, including still lifes, portraits, landscapes and the iconic scenes of bathers. Featuring around 70 oil paintings and watercolors, the exhibition and catalog reveal the artist's unique treatment of form, light and atmosphere. Cézanne's intense observation of nature and his search for a visual language that conveys both permanence and change remain as compelling as ever. His work continues to shape the practice of artists across generations, demonstrating that his vision of painting as a means of inquiry into perception and reality still resonates powerfully.
Paul Cézanne's (1839-1906) oeuvre builds a bridge between Impressionism and abstraction. Through formal reduction to basic geometric elements and a new type of perspective, he became a pioneer of Cubism. The surroundings of his French hometown, Aix-en-Provence, were often the subject of his paintings, in which he sought to achieve a "harmony parallel to nature."