Apples on a Sheet 1900

This painting of apples on a sheet was likely made by Paul Cézanne sometime in the late 19th century. He has built up the image with small brushstrokes, creating a surface that seems to shimmer with light and color. Look closely, and you'll see how the material quality of the oil paint itself plays a key role. Its thickness and texture give the apples a sense of volume and presence. The painting is not just an illusion, but a constructed object, made through labor. Cézanne layers the paint in a deliberate way, building up the forms slowly and methodically. You can almost feel the weight of the apples and the folds of the cloth. Although this is a still life of humble, domestic objects, the painting is ambitious. Cézanne is using the subject matter as an excuse to explore the possibilities of paint itself. In doing so, he challenged traditional hierarchies of subject matter, elevating the everyday to the level of high art.