Dish of Apples c. 1876 - 1877

Paul Cézanne created this still life painting, ‘Dish of Apples,’ using oil on canvas sometime in the late 19th century. Cézanne was part of the Post-Impressionist movement, a group of artists whose subjective visions reflected their emotional and psychological responses to the modern world. Looking at this painting, it is important to acknowledge that Cézanne was a bourgeois white male artist working during a time of significant social change in France, and his position in society afforded him certain privileges and perspectives. In this piece, he takes the traditional subject of a still life and transforms it through his unique style. While ‘Dish of Apples’ may seem like a simple arrangement, Cézanne was interested in exploring how we perceive objects and how they exist in space. He once stated, “I want to surprise you… to discover something new.” This is a rejection of traditional, academic painting styles in favor of a more subjective and personal expression. The painting's emotional resonance lies in its ability to invite us to slow down and consider the beauty of everyday objects. It encourages us to question traditional modes of representation.