L’Estaque aux toits rouges 1883 - 1885

Curator: Let's consider this striking cityscape. Paul Cézanne painted “L’Estaque aux toits rouges” sometime between 1883 and 1885. Editor: It's so warm, despite the grey sky. All those red rooftops against the faded blues of the sea. Almost a tactile experience looking at it. Curator: Yes, and look at how Cézanne uses broken brushstrokes to build up the scene. This technique deviates from the traditions of landscape art and reflects his evolving approach to representing three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional canvas. Consider, for instance, his connection to social realism. Do these working-class houses invite conversations about class and place, how marginalized communities exist at the edge of French society and modernism itself? Editor: Absolutely. There’s an underlying tension there, though—the sea almost feels indifferent. This idyllic coastal scene feels oddly surveilled, its intimacy disrupted, which brings to the fore questions about labor, especially considering how rapidly industrializing France would exploit colonial relationships for its raw resources and economic strength in that moment. Curator: Precisely. The smokestack faintly visible to the left could invite contemplation about the role of industry, pollution, and modernity generally. He really pushes against expectations. There is always a certain degree of political intervention when considering cityscapes. The landscape always frames socioeconomic elements of their present day, from issues of displacement to wealth. Editor: I'm left wondering, who lived here? What were their lives like amidst this rapid change? Did they have a perspective? What did their day-to-day involve as opposed to Cézanne? Curator: That's the beauty of this piece—it raises crucial questions about social experience while visually stunning. Editor: Agreed, a view that is a political, lived moment.