Chateau de Madan 1881

Editor: So, this is Cézanne’s “Chateau de Madan,” painted in 1881 using watercolor, I believe. The landscape feels incredibly delicate, almost dreamlike, because of the medium's transparency and fluidity. How do you interpret this work, considering its materials and historical context? Curator: Immediately, I am drawn to Cézanne's use of watercolor in "Chateau de Madan." The choice is significant. Watercolor, traditionally seen as a preparatory medium, or one for amateurs, gains importance here. Cézanne is elevating it through this detailed application. Consider also how painting *en plein air*, common among Impressionists, democratized the artistic process. He wasn't confined to a studio; the landscape itself, the immediate, everyday world, became his source and subject. Do you see how the visible brushstrokes, the way he builds up the form, shows his physical labor in crafting the scene? Editor: Yes, now that you point it out, the layering of the watercolors feels almost like a building process, a constructed reality rather than a mere impression. Was he trying to show the labor involved in viewing the landscape? Curator: Exactly! It prompts us to question what constitutes “high art.” By embracing plein air and what was considered a lesser medium, like watercolor, Cézanne is actively dismantling those hierarchies, inviting us to examine the means of artistic production. It's about challenging the traditional ideas around what is worthy of artistic attention and effort. Editor: That’s fascinating. It completely shifts my perspective from just admiring the image to considering the act of its creation and the statement he's making by *how* he made it. I'll definitely be thinking about materiality more consciously in the future. Curator: It's about labor and re-evaluating hierarchies, and thinking critically about materials as meaningful choices. I will consider this next time as well.