Paul Cezanne, Pines And Rocks Essay

Paul Cezanne, Pines and Rocks, 1896-99 Oil on Canvas Museum of Modern Art This simple painting of a small, intimate embellish is a good example of Paul Cezannes mastery of the impressionist style. The scene is of a rocky path, possibly a hiking trail on the side of a mountain, and a few trees that veil the sky in patches of leaves. Cezannes method of painting is rather interesting, in that he paints each stroke standardised a plate of color, creating an overlapping mosaic. The palette he chose is also remarkable with lucent, almost cartoonish shades of pigment that give an underlying smell out of realism to the painting. aspect at Cezannes work often makes one wonder if impressionism is a study of gentle cosmos cast on objects or of life being cast out from the object.The overall feel of a painting is often determined by the way each brushstroke is applied to the canvas. Cezannes work resembles a mosaic piece, except his blocks of color are intermixed and overlap eachother. E ach brushstroke rests on its own plane in the painted space, giving the painting a sense of depth unique to the three-dimensional information of the trees off in the distance and the boulders on the ground. The thick, dark outline of the trees and rocks also add depth to the piece, separating the shaded trail from the bright midday sky. Using a little imagination, one can almost pick off individual leaves from the green and brown patches of paint used to nominate them.Cezannes choice of color is exceptional in expressing the particular mood in a scene, as shown in this painting. A rich blend of purples, reds, and browns in the rocks and tree trunks nicely compliments the bright blue sky and green foliage. The dull, muted tones of the rocks give weight and gravity to the scene while the light and dark greens seem to dance in the winds of the sky blue background. Lighting and shadows are also well done to add the final oppose of depth to the piece.