978-1-4222-3257-6

cézanne

The Gulf of Marseilles from L’Estaque (also called L’Estaque ) (1878-1879)

The House of the Hanged Man (1873)

• Oil on canvas, 22.8 in x 28.3 in (58 cm x 72 cm)

• Oil on canvas, 21.7 in x 26 in (55 cm x 66 cm)

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Cézanne, Paul (1839-1906): La maison du pendu (The House of the Hanged Man). Auvers-sur-Oise, 1873. Paris, Musee d’Orsay. Oil on canvas, 55 x 66 cm. © 2013. Photo Scala, Florence

Cézanne, Paul (1839-1906): L’Estaque. Paris, Musee d’Orsay. © 2013. Photo Scala, Florence

This work was one of three of The House of the Hanged Man and exhibited at the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874. The influence of Cézanne’s mentor, Camille Pissarro, can be seen in this painting, but he has kept to the paler colors favored by Impressionists, rather than the vibrant colors for which he would be universally recognized later. The subject is simple and solid, but the composition is complicated. There is a deep feeling of solitude in this painting. It could be suggested that the painting has a strong pull, urging the audience to venture downward toward the house, which is in complete contrast to the likes of Munch who was prolific in having his figures and subjects seemingly rushing toward the front of his paintings.

It was in his native Provence that Cézanne established his recurrent motifs and themes. He found great inspiration in the Bay at L’Estaque and it was here that he painted his first seascapes. It was a much-loved place of the artist and a sanctuary where he could escape to when he needed a rest from the stresses and strains of life in the French capital. Just as with Mont Sainte-Victoire, he used different mediums to capture his scenes here. In this work Cézanne used oil on canvas, but he also produced the scene in a number of watercolors. Once again he uses a series of short brushstrokes in order to create form and texture. He uses dark lines to outline the geometry of the manmade structures. The painting shows how the artist is moving away from Impressionism and traditional perspective. The eye is drawn to the left of the work where the bay narrows, leaving the audience to wonder what is around the corner. However, the painting is so vibrant that the audience is left wondering what is either side of the panoramic view. This “solid” painting of one of Cézanne’s favorite places was of significant interest to young artists at the turn of the century, many of who visited the shores of the bay to capture it in their own images.