The artwork “Still life with Italian earthenware jar” was crafted by the French artist Paul Cézanne around the year 1874. This piece is an oil painting on canvas and belongs to the genre of still life, which was a common subject in Cézanne’s body of work. Measuring 41.8 by 55.2 centimeters, it exemplifies the Impressionist movement of which Cézanne was a pivotal part. The artwork is held in a private collection and is not on public display.
In the artwork, there is a distinctive presence of Cézanne’s developing style, which straddles the line between Impressionism and the artist’s unique approach that would later herald Post-Impressionism. The painting features a centrally placed Italian earthenware jar, richly decorated with blue and yellow ornamental patterns. The jar sits on a crumpled white cloth, and to its left is a collection of fruits, possibly apples and a tomato, rendered with rapid brushstrokes that communicate the play of light and form. The background is muted and dark, allowing the jar and the fruit to stand out prominently. The juxtaposition of colors, the handling of light, and the thick application of paint are vivid and suggestive, capturing a moment in time with both intimacy and a hint of detachment. The composition is balanced and carefully structured, demonstrating Cézanne’s interest in exploring the spatial relationships between objects.
