Still Life with a Ginger Jar and Eggplants 1894

Editor: Looking at Cézanne's "Still Life with a Ginger Jar and Eggplants," painted in 1894 using oil paints, what strikes me most is the almost tactile quality of the fabric and produce. The textures feel palpable. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: For me, this piece speaks volumes about the changing landscape of art production. Forget the myth of the tortured genius. Focus instead on the sheer labor required, the time Cézanne invested meticulously constructing this scene, sourcing these specific objects. Do you think he just grabbed what was nearby, or were these deliberately chosen to be represented through paint? Editor: That’s an interesting point. I never really considered the 'sourcing' aspect. So, instead of the inherent symbolism of the objects, it's more about their existence as tangible, purchasable items? Curator: Exactly. The ginger jar itself would have been an imported commodity, laden with socio-economic meaning. And the eggplants, readily available but perhaps selected for their colour, form, and how light falls upon them. Consider the context, though. Industrialisation was changing patterns of consumption and Cézanne is reflecting, perhaps unintentionally, a shift in our relationship to materials and products. What does that patterned cloth beneath it all represent to you? Editor: The patterned cloth does evoke the increasing availability of mass-produced textiles at the time. It isn’t unique, and the fabric and paint mimic each other. Curator: Precisely. We’re looking at the democratisation of art, not in subject but in accessibility of the means of creating and obtaining that subject. Does that influence how you view the final still life? Editor: I think understanding the work from that perspective makes me appreciate it on a deeper level. I'm seeing it not just as a static representation but as a reflection of a shifting material culture, and also a production by Cezanne to offer a different viewing experience, something quite special, to the elite class and to us even now. Curator: Right! That’s materiality.