There is an exhibit at the Philadelphia Art Museum that features about 60 works from Paul Cezanne as well as works of about 17 artists that were directly influenced by Cezanne. There is work from masters such as Picasso, Matisse, and Max Beckmann as well as modern painters like Ellsworth Kelly and Brice Marden, all influenced in some form by his work.
Some take something from his use of color or his compositional forms. Others takes from his brushwork and application of paint. The interesting thing is how each translates what they see in Cezanne’s work and puts that into their own work, which at first glance has absolutely no connection with Cezanne. For me, seeing how another artist assimilates his influences into his work actually draws me closer to their work. It gives a little insight into a part of their mind that I may not see in their work normally. It basically creates a common bond that helps me be better appreciate the evolution of their work.
My attraction to Cezanne’s work comes in a couple of different forms. First, there is an underlying warmth in his colors that really hits for me and always makes me comfortable when looking at his work. There is an inviting quality in his color. Secondly, I always admired his repeated use of certain subjects such as Mont Sainte Victoire (above) which he painted about a hundred times. You can see that this was not mere repetition, each piece having a unique quality and freshness.
Actually, freshness is a word that comes to mind when I think of Cezanne and the allure of his work. Most feel in the present. Most have a most modern feel. I get the sense when looking at one that it could have been created today and has bonds to our times. That is one of those indefinable qualities that artists seek for their own work and can sometimes see in the work of others. I suppose that is why artists borrow from other artist- to attain that sense of timelessness for their own work.
At least that’s what I seek in the work of others.
Redtree Times 