Paul Cezanne (1839-1906), was a French painter. He was the founder of the Post-impressionist branch of art in France. Although he was little-recognized during his lifetime, Cezanne had a tremendous influence on modern painting. His style displays a rich and varied use of color, disciplined composition, and precise form. Cezanne was born in Aix, the son of a banker. In 1863 he joined his close friend, the novelist Emile Zola, in Paris, where he studied art. At this time he became acquainted with Pierre Renoir, Camille Pissaro, and other painters of the Impressionist school. He took part in the First Impressionist Exhibition 1874 and exhibited with the Impressionist again in 1877. But his works were severely criticized. He then broke with the impressionist and retired to Aix. There he spent the rest of his life developing his style of painting. To the Impressionist emphasis on color, Cezanne added a way of suggesting the great solidity of forms. Exhibitions of his works in 1904 and again in 1907, after his death, revealed to the public, an almost unknown genius. The young generation of painters found in his technique inspiration for the Cubist and other artistic movements in the Post-impressionist period.
“When I judge art, I take my painting and put it next to a God-made object like a tree or flower. If it clashes, it is not art.”
– Paul Cezanne
