The artwork titled “A Turn in the Road at La Roche-Guyon” was created by the renowned artist Paul Cézanne in 1885. It is an oil on canvas painting representative of the Post-Impressionism movement. Measuring 25 3/8 by 31 1/2 inches (64.2 x 80 cm), the artwork falls within the landscape genre and is part of the collection at the Smith College Museum of Art (SCMA) in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States.
The artwork captures a winding thoroughfare in the commune of La Roche-Guyon. The artist renders the landscape in a manner that combines both the tangible architectural elements and the fluidity of natural foliage. Cézanne uses a palette comprising subtle earth tones that embody the tranquility and rustic charm of the French countryside. The play of light and shadow suggests the depth and curvature of the terrain, whereas the brushstrokes betray a distinctive tactility and movement within the scene. Buildings appear nestled into the landscape, some with clear defining features and others more loosely suggested by the artist’s application of paint. The composition overall reflects the pioneering techniques of Post-Impressionism, where the painter’s perception of the subject and his experimentation with form and color become central to the depiction of the scene.
