Chrysanthemums 1898

‘Chrysanthemums’ was painted by Paul Cézanne in France, using oil on canvas. Look closely, and you’ll notice that Cézanne applied paint in methodical, blocky strokes. The visible texture builds layer upon layer, forming the image. It’s a slow, repetitive process, almost meditative in character. But it is an image of mass-produced items: cut flowers in a vase, fabrics in a bourgeois home, all commodities available for purchase. Consider the work involved in cultivating these flowers, weaving the fabrics, and manufacturing the vase, each a product of extensive labor. The artist is also doing labor here, though of a different kind. He's taking the world of mass-produced items and turning them into something entirely unique. Cézanne reminds us that artistic value comes not just from what is depicted, but how it's made. By emphasizing his own handwork, he elevates the everyday to the extraordinary.