The artwork “Basket of Apples” is a celebrated still life oil on canvas painting by the renowned Post-Impressionist artist Paul Cézanne, completed in the year 1895. Measuring 62 by 79 centimeters, this exquisite piece exemplifies the distinctive brushwork and color palette that characterize Cézanne’s approach to capturing everyday subjects. The painting is part of the collection at the Art Institute of Chicago, located in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Paul Cézanne’s “Basket of Apples” presents a seemingly casual arrangement of objects on a tilted plain that defies conventional perspective, a hallmark of his innovative style. The central focus is a basket filled with a bounty of apples, showcasing varying hues of reds, greens, and yellows. The basket is placed to the left of the composition, its form tilted as if on the verge of spilling the fruit onto the table. Adjacent to the basket is a green bottle, standing upright with its dark silhouette contrasting with the lighter background. To the right, on a plate piled high, lies a selection of elongated, pale bread rolls, adding a geometric counterpoint to the round forms of the apples. The draped fabric, crumpled and twisted, provides dynamic lines and texture that draw the eye across the table’s expanse. Background and table blend together in a harmony of muted tones, adding depth while letting the vivid fruit and objects remain the visual core of the artwork. Through his masterful balancing of color, form, and spatial manipulation, Cézanne creates a composition that goes beyond mere representation, inviting contemplation on the nature of visual perception itself.
