Forest Interior c. 1890

Curator: Here we have Paul Cézanne's "Forest Interior," currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a watercolor piece, measuring about 48 by 31 centimeters. Editor: My first impression? It feels like a half-remembered dream of a forest. Ephemeral, and yet those brown trunk-like lines give it structure. Curator: Precisely. Note how Cézanne employs a fragmented composition. Patches of color create depth without traditional linear perspective. It rejects conventional spatial representation. Editor: It’s like he's trying to capture the essence of the forest, the feeling of dappled light and shifting forms, rather than a literal depiction. I feel peace gazing into it. Curator: The interplay of light and shadow, the strategic placement of green and blue washes, serve to deconstruct the viewer's perception of space. Editor: I see the individual brushstrokes and almost feel like I'm standing there, alongside Cézanne, brush in hand. The whole is incomplete, yet so resolved. Curator: An insightful observation. Editor: It leaves you, well, wanting more of the forest. And maybe more of the dream.