Portrait of Madame Cezanne 1881

Paul Cézanne painted this portrait of his wife, Hortense Fiquet, using oil on canvas. What's striking is the way Cézanne treats paint as a tangible substance, almost like clay. Look closely, and you'll see how he builds up the image with small, deliberate strokes. Each dab of color is carefully considered, creating a mosaic-like effect. This wasn't about creating a perfect likeness. Instead, Cézanne was interested in capturing the underlying structure of things, the essence of form and color. Consider the labor involved, the hours spent applying those individual brushstrokes. This reflects a shift in art, away from the slick surfaces of academic painting towards a more handmade, almost artisanal approach. Cézanne elevates the very act of painting, reminding us that art is not just about the subject, but also about the process and the materials themselves. It blurs the lines between high art and the more humble world of craft.