An artwork on Galleree from The Art Institute of Chicago.
About the artwork
Auvers, Panoramic ViewPaul Cezanne (French, 1839–1906)
1873-75
France
65.2 × 81.3 cm (25 5/8 × 32 in.); Framed: 79.7 × 97.5 × 7.7 cm (31 3/8 × 38 3/8 × 3 in.)
Oil on canvas
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Larned Coburn Memorial Collection
['Impressionism', '19th century']
['Century of Progress', 'building', 'buildings', 'countryside', 'France', 'hills', 'homes', 'house', 'houses', 'sky', 'towns', 'townscapes', 'trees', 'weather/seasons', 'landscapes', "world's fairs", "Chicago World's Fairs"]
['painting', 'french', 'oil on canvas', 'oil paintings (visual works)', 'paint', 'european painting']
['oil paint (paint)', 'canvas', 'paint', 'painting']
['oil painting', 'painting (image making)', 'painting techniques', 'painting']
Paul Cezanne made this work during his first prolonged stay at Auvers, where he was mentored by Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro. Cezanne rendered the unusual perspective—looking down onto the rooftops of Auvers and out to the distant countryside—using blocky, energetic patches of color and areas of ragged brushwork that seem unfinished, especially at the lower left and center. These choices, which were radical at the time, mark his attempt to communicate not merely the landscape’s appearance but also the feeling of seeing it and painting it.
| attributed to Art Institute of Chicago under CC-By license
In the quiet village of Auvers, where the breezes carried whispers of inspiration, Paul Cézanne found himself at a crossroads. It was his first extended stay there, a moment when the weight of anticipation hung in the air. Guided by the steady hand of the Impressionist master, Camille Pissarro, he began to delve into the world of color and feeling.
Cézanne stood at the edge of his canvas, his gaze drawn to the rooftops below. They were not just structures; they were stories woven into a tapestry of life. The scene unfolded before him, a panorama that stretched into the embrace of the distant countryside. Yet, as he observed, he didn’t simply see—it was as if he felt the pulse of the landscape beneath his feet, vibrant and alive.
With each stroke, he applied blocky patches of color that danced and throbbed with energy. His brushwork was a whirlwind, ragged and unrefined, especially in the lower left and center of the painting. There was a rawness to it, a sense that he had not finished, but rather felt; as if he were capturing the essence of that moment rather than the mere appearance.
These choices, daring for their time, spoke not just of the beauty of a place but of the experience of witnessing it. Cézanne sought to convey the feeling of seeing and painting simultaneously—a blending of vision and emotion that transcended the surface. The result was a window into his soul, beckoning viewers to step into his world and resonate with the stories waiting to be told among the rooftops of Auvers.
About the artist
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