“Compotier, Glass and Apples” is an artwork by Paul Cezanne created in 1880, encapsulating the essence of Post-Impressionism through its use of oil on canvas. The painting measures 46 x 55 cm and belongs to the still life genre, and is held in a private collection.
The artwork depicts a simple, yet elegantly arranged composition of fruit, a glass, and a compotier, or fruit dish, on a draped tablecloth. Cezanne’s play with light and shadow imparts a solid physicality to the objects, while his brushwork provides a vivid texture that animates the still life with a sense of movement and depth. The apples, rendered with varying shades of red, green, and orange, appear both soft and dense, indicating Cezanne’s interest in exploring form and color. The interplay between the objects and space illustrates the artist’s departure from traditional representational art and toward the Post-Impressionist movement’s more abstract and subjective tendencies. The glass, partially filled with what might be water, captures the light and showcases Cezanne’s deft handling of transparency and reflection. Overall, this artwork is emblematic of Cezanne’s influence on the trajectory of modern art and his pursuit of capturing the essence of his subjects through innovative techniques and a distinctive visual language.
