The artwork titled “Still Life with Flower Holder” was created by the renowned Post-Impressionist artist Paul Cézanne in 1905. This oil on canvas painting measures 81.2 by 106 cm and is classified under the still life genre. The painting is an embodiment of the Post-Impressionist movement, which is marked by a departure from the naturalism of the preceding Impressionists and an emphasis on more abstract qualities.
This particular artwork by Cézanne features a composition that showcases an array of objects arranged on a table against a patterned background. At the center of the painting, a collection of fruit is meticulously placed on a white cloth, which has been draped over the table’s edge, instilling a sense of depth and texture. The fruit, which includes peaches and oranges, are rendered with robust, almost geometric forms, highlighting Cézanne’s characteristic approach to form and structure.
To the right, we see a flower holder, a common element in Cézanne’s still lifes, which appears as an elegantly shaped pot with a white interior. The holder, along with the juxtaposition of the fruits, exemplifies Cézanne’s skillful exploration of spatial relationships and his manipulation of shape to create a cohesive composition. The background is infused with a mosaic of dark hues and fragmented shapes, deliberately juxtaposing the more brightly colored and detailed depiction of the objects on the table. This treatment of the background against the foreground further showcases the artist’s innovative use of color, line, and perspective.
