The artwork “Still Life, Tulips and apples” by Paul Cezanne, created in 1894, presents a quintessential study in the Post-Impressionist style. It employs the medium of oil on canvas and the piece measures 58.5 by 42 cm. As a still life, this work is an exploration of domestic everyday objects arranged in a composed setting.
In this composition, Cezanne has depicted a scene with vivid tulips and other flowers contained within a stout green vase. The flowers reaching upwards showcase a variety of colors, from the deep reds of the tulips to the delicate whites and yellows of the accompanying floral elements. These are contrasted by the more subdued tones of the background and tabletop. Positioned on the same surface as the vase, and seeming to occupy the lower register of the scene, are several apples and another round fruit, possibly an orange or peach, which provide both a chromatic and textural contrast to the smooth and predominantly vertically oriented flowers. The painter’s focus on geometry and the modulation of color imparts the artwork with a distinct tension between the two-dimensional surface of the canvas and the three-dimensional effect created through shading and perspective. This tension is a hallmark of Cezanne’s approach to painting, founded on his profound interest in the underlying structure of the natural world. Through this lens, the artwork acts as a study of form and color, influencing the trajectory of modern art as a forerunner to the developments of the 20th century.
