Bathers 1904

Paul Cézanne painted 'Bathers' with oil on canvas, deploying his distinctive broken brushwork. Cézanne's technique is crucial to understanding the work. Look closely, and you will notice that he applies small touches of paint, each one carefully considered, that build up the figures, foliage, and distant landscape. There's very little blending or traditional modelling of form. The way he layered the pigment creates a sense of depth and volume, but also maintains a strong awareness of the flat surface of the canvas. In this respect, Cézanne was turning away from academic painting which prioritized the illusion of three-dimensionality, towards a modern understanding of painting as a material process. It’s a kind of labor-intensive construction, more akin to building a mosaic or a dry stone wall. Understanding Cézanne's method helps us appreciate that, for him, the act of painting was as important as the subject matter itself. This idea would have a huge influence on later artists, who also sought to emphasize the materials and processes of their art.