The artwork “Still life with apples and biscuits” is an oil on canvas painting by the renowned artist Paul Cezanne, dated to 1877. This seminal piece measures 38 x 55 cm and belongs to the Impressionism movement, a genre known for capturing the effects of light with a vividness that was novel at the time. As a still life, the work features inanimate objects as its subject and is exemplary of Cezanne’s contribution to the development of modern art.
In this artwork, the composition is centered on a selection of apples of various colors and forms, arranged in an informal, yet balanced heap across the center of the canvas. Accompanying the apples are several biscuits, placed on a plate to the right side, providing a contrast to the rounded shapes of the fruit. The background and tabletop appear in muted tones, with the background exhibiting a warm, olive hue that accentuates the vivid colors of the apples. Cezanne’s use of loose, dappled brushstrokes imbues the scene with a palpable sense of texture and dimensionality, a testament to the Impressionist aim of capturing a moment in time with all its fleeting qualities. The play of light and shadow across the objects gives the still life a lively atmosphere, while the careful and calculated placement of the fruit and biscuits demonstrates Cezanne’s skill in composition and form.
