The artwork titled “Still Life Bread and Leg of Lamb” was created by the artist Paul Cezanne in the year 1866. Employing the medium of oil on canvas, the piece is associated with the Romanticism art movement and falls within the genre of still life. Presently, this artwork is housed within the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich, located in Zürich, Switzerland.
The artwork depicts a robust composition focusing on a thickly painted leg of lamb alongside a loaf of bread. Cezanne’s application of paint is tactile, and the impasto technique renders a sense of palpable texture, enhancing the physicality of the subjects. The bread has a golden, crusty exterior, indicative of being freshly baked, while the leg of lamb is detailed with nuanced shades of white, beige, and red, suggesting raw flesh with patches of fat and sinew. The background is subdued, primarily in dark tones, which makes the central subjects stand out more prominently. The painting’s somber palette is intermittently punctuated with strokes of brighter colors that capture light and shadow, thereby adding depth and dimensionality. As is typical of Cezanne’s work, the composition eschews ornate detailing in favor of a focus on the form and substance of the objects portrayed.
