“Still Life with Apples and a Pot of Primroses” is an oil on canvas artwork by Paul Cézanne, a renowned artist associated with the Post-Impressionism movement. Dating to circa 1890, the painting measures 58 by 91 centimeters. This still life is part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York, United States, where it is displayed for the public to appreciate Cézanne’s contribution to the evolution of modern art.
The artwork depicts an arrangement of apples spread out across a crumpled cloth, with several of the fruit also stacked atop a rectangular object on the left side of the composition. A pot of primroses is placed beside the apples towards the right, resting on the same surface as the fruit. The flowers rise above the pot with rich green foliage interspersed with delicate pink blossoms, adding liveliness and a hint of soft color to the scene. Cézanne’s brushwork is discernible, with the texture of the paint adding a tactile quality to the drapery and the surface on which the objects rest. The background of the painting is relatively muted, consisting of cool, subdued tones that allow the vibrant colors of the apples and the greenery to stand out. His technique exhibits a mastery of form and color, resulting in a composition that balances realism with a sense of painterly abstraction that is characteristic of Post-Impressionism. Cézanne’s exploration of perspective and shape in this still life has been influential in the development of modern art, particularly in the way that objects and space are perceived and depicted.
