Still-Life with a Watermelon and Pomegranates 1900 - 1906

Paul Cézanne made this watercolor, Still-Life with a Watermelon and Pomegranates, at the end of his career. Look at how the colours both sit on the surface and somehow create volume and depth through very simple, thin washes. The juicy, transparent washes of colour are the stars here, like looking through stained glass. The painting revels in the joy of seeing. He’s not interested in a photorealistic representation, but in building up these objects from the inside out using colour. Notice the thin, washy quality of the paint and the way Cézanne lets the white of the paper breathe through. He's building up layers of colour, a kind of gentle, all-over touch, to create something that feels both solid and ephemeral. Cézanne’s process reminds me of Morandi's quiet, meditative still-lifes. Both artists embraced the potential of art to be ongoing experiments with perception, never settling for easy answers or fixed perspectives.