The Alley at Chantilly 1888

Paul Cézanne painted ‘The Alley at Chantilly’ with oil on canvas at an unknown date. Cézanne, living in a rapidly industrializing France, often turned to the quiet calm of nature for his subject matter. Here, the alley seems almost like a tunnel, drawing us into a private, reflective space, away from the burgeoning modern world. The painting provides a glimpse into the leisure and privilege enjoyed by the upper classes of the time, who had the means to escape to such retreats. The controlled chaos of Cézanne's brushstrokes, however, hints at underlying tensions. The scene evokes a sense of both tranquility and unease. Cézanne once said that, “painting from nature is not copying the object; it is realizing one’s sensations”. What sensations arise in you as you gaze down this tree lined path and consider who is welcome to rest at the end of the alley?