Trees and Houses Near the Jas de Bouffan 1885 - 1886

Paul Cézanne painted ‘Trees and Houses Near the Jas de Bouffan’ using oil on canvas. At first glance, the dominant feature is the array of trees framing a distant house, all rendered in earth tones and greens. The branches create a lattice-like structure that both obscures and reveals the landscape. Cézanne's approach challenges traditional perspective. He flattens the picture plane, reducing depth and emphasizing the relationships between shapes and colors. The trees are not just representations of nature but function as structural elements that define the composition. Notice how each brushstroke is visible, contributing to a sense of materiality and process. Cézanne's use of color is also strategic. Patches of green, yellow, and brown create a visual rhythm, guiding the eye across the canvas. This method of building form through color is pivotal, prefiguring cubism's fragmented perspectives. The painting serves not as a mirror to reality, but as an exploration of form and perception.