Fruit and a Jug on a Table c. 1890

Paul Cézanne made this still life, “Fruit and a Jug on a Table,” with oil paint on canvas. The way Cézanne applied the paint is crucial to how we read the image. Look at the marks he made to depict the rumpled blue cloth. Each brushstroke has a clear beginning and end, and these build up a sense of depth. It’s a highly calculated method, not unlike laying bricks or weaving cloth. This connects painting to the crafts, where materials are assembled with patient labor. Even the simple objects depicted – the fruit, the ceramic jug – imply cultivation and making. Cézanne is reminding us that everything we see comes to us via processes of production. The labor is visible in the artwork itself, and in the world beyond the frame. Ultimately, Cézanne’s close attention to materiality helps us to see his chosen subject matter as part of a larger system of work and value.