Paul Cézanne
Around 1888-90
Oil paint on canvas
46 x 78.6 cm
The commonplace objects in this deceptively simple still life allow Paul Cézanne to set himself a compositional challenge. He contrasts the roundness of the fruits, which appear almost sculptural, with the flat leaves of the plant. He also rejects conventional perspective. The background, perhaps the reverse of a stretched canvas, closes off our view and creates further spatial ambiguity. We are compelled to read the image less as a still life and more as a lively play of shapes and colours.