The Vase of Tulips c. 1890

Paul Cézanne made this painting of tulips, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century, using oil paint on canvas. The visible brushstrokes and layers of paint give the work a tangible, almost sculptural quality. Cézanne's technique involves building up the image with small, deliberate strokes, a departure from the smooth, illusionistic surfaces of earlier painting. This focus on the materiality of paint was radical, emphasizing the physical act of painting. The tulips themselves, probably cultivated for the market, are painted with the same attentive care as the vase and fruit. The artist's labor is evident in every stroke, transforming everyday objects into something extraordinary. Cézanne's approach collapses traditional hierarchies between fine art and the decorative arts. Ultimately, this is a study in seeing and making. Cézanne elevates the mundane through the careful application of paint, reminding us that value lies not only in the subject matter but in the artist's touch.