Still Life with Flowers and Fruit 1890

Paul Cézanne made this still life with flowers and fruit in oil on canvas. Cézanne painted during a period of immense social transformation in France, marked by industrialization and urbanization. His still lifes, like this one, reflect a tension between tradition and modernity. The choice of subject matter, flowers and fruit, links him to the long history of still life painting going back to the old masters. But his technique departs from academic conventions. Look at the rough brushstrokes and the simplified forms. These suggest a shift away from realism towards abstraction and the expression of the artist's subjective vision. Cézanne’s work reflects the changing role of the artist in society, as artists began to challenge established norms and explore new ways of representing the world. Art historians often consult letters, exhibition reviews, and other primary source documents to understand the social and intellectual context in which an artwork was made.