Gardanne 1885 - 1886

Paul Cézanne painted 'Gardanne' with oils on canvas, capturing the essence of the Provençal town where he briefly resided. Painted during a period of significant social upheaval in France, with the rise of industrialization challenging traditional ways of life, Cézanne turned to the natural world and small-town life for solace. The high vantage point offers us an intimate yet detached view of the town, evoking a sense of the artist's own position as an observer on the margins of society. There's a quiet tension in Cézanne's work, as it captures the beauty of provincial France but also hints at the isolation that comes with modernization and the loss of community. With its simplified forms and flattened perspective, 'Gardanne' departs from traditional landscape painting, reflecting Cézanne’s desire to capture the underlying structure of the world. He once said, "I want to surprise you, to ravish you". Ultimately, 'Gardanne' encapsulates both the nostalgic longing for a simpler existence and the radical artistic experimentation that would change the course of modern art.