Paul Cézanne (1839–1906)
1902-06
Watercolour and opaque watercolour over graphite on paper
48 x 63.2 cm
Acquired by Oskar Reinhart in 1923
Towering over the vast expanse of land seen from Paul Cézanne’s studio in Aix-en-Provence, in southern France, is the Sainte-Victoire mountain. Cézanne represented it in many paintings and drawings, capturing it from different viewpoints. In this epic watercolour, the mountain’s form, with its distinct jagged top, presides over the countryside, which the artist composes as patches of harmoniously rendered colours.
Oskar Reinhart and Samuel Courtauld were passionate collectors of Cézanne’s work. This remarkable watercolour finds its counterpart in a major painting of the Sainte-Victoire, currently on display as part of the Courtauld Gallery’s permanent collection.