978-1-4222-3257-6

cézanne

The Eternal Feminine (1877)

The Great Pine (1890-1896)

• Oil on canvas, 16.9 in x 20.9 in (43 cm x 53 cm)

• Oil on canvas, 35 in x 27.6 in (89 cm x 70 cm)

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The eternal feminine, 1877, by Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), oil on canvas, 43 x 53 cm. Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum. © 2013. DeAgostini Picture Library/Scala, Florence

The large pine tree (Le gran pin), 1890-1896, by Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), oil on canvas, 89 x 70 cm. Sao Paulo, Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo. © 2013. DeAgostini Picture Library/Scala, Florence

This exciting painting shows great movement and fluidity. The tree stands out against its smaller, less interesting or detailed peers, and reveals a dramatic scene with conflicting forms, reacting to the wind. The tree is strained, but is a simple yet carefully crafted form of nature, which reveals great art. This tree’s branches are the only ones visible, while the other trees just provide support and balance to the work. The brushstrokes evoke the movement and turbulence of this powerful painting.

It is well known that Cézanne was uncomfortable using naked models, yet they featured so prominently in his work. He was renowned for using the drawings of nude models that he produced in Paris. This piece is no exception. In this work, the naked central woman is celebrated and adored by her devotees. How the woman actually feels about the attention is unclear: her face is virtually blank – not uncommon in Cézanne nudes. To one side an artist captures the scene on canvas. The male figures within the piece all come from different professions. Whatever the true meaning of the painting, one thing is clear: the woman is vulnerable, or a mere object to be gawped at. In 1991, the painting was returned to its original state after it was altered in 1954 in order to make the nude “less disturbing.”