The artwork “The Oilmill” by Paul Cézanne was completed in the year 1871. It is an oil on canvas creation categorized under the genre of landscape and is associated with the Romanticism art movement. This piece currently resides within a private collection.
The artwork depicts a rustic scene of an oil mill, nestled in a natural environment. In the foreground, a water source potentially powers the mill, reflecting the foliage and structures above. The mill buildings themselves are portrayed with rough, but evocative brushwork, characterized by a variety of earthy tones and shadowing that lend a sense of depth and realism. The rooftops exhibit a texture that suggests they might be thatched, and they harmonize with the surrounding trees that loom over and partially obscure the buildings, integrating nature with human habitation. The landscape is lush and verdant, capturing the organic and wild aspects of the Romanticist perspective which often framed nature as a powerful and sublime force. The overall composition has a quiet, timeless quality evocative of rural life, standing in contrast to the industrial progression of the era in which it was created.
