“Still Life with Three Skulls” is an artwork created by Paul Cezanne around 1903, which demonstrates the artist’s foray into the then-nascent Cubist movement. A vanitas by genre, the watercolor on paper composition foregrounds the theme of mortality and the transient nature of life. Created during the final years of Cezanne’s life, the artwork is presently housed at the Art Institute of Chicago, located in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
The artwork depicts three skulls arranged closely together, their vacant eye sockets and the stark bone structure rendered with loose, expressive brushstrokes. The color palette is subdued yet varied, with earthy reds, yellows, and pale tones that evoke a sense of decay and the passage of time. The background and surface upon which the skulls rest are suggested with minimal detail, allowing the viewer to focus on the textures and interplay of color that characterize the skulls. The composition demonstrates Cezanne’s departure from traditional representation, hinting at the geometric simplification that would be further explored by Cubist artists. Despite its stillness, there is a dynamic tension in the artwork, a testament to Cezanne’s enduring influence on the trajectory of modern art.
