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Paul Cezanne, 'Curtain, Jug and Dish of Fruit', 1893-4

About the work

Overview

In the early 1890s, Cezanne repeatedly painted the same set of objects in the isolation of his studio – fruit, dishes, cloths, and a water jug – to render them from different perspectives and interrogate their formal properties. In this picture, Cezanne introduces subtle effects of distortion to the otherwise coherent arrangement of objects. The simplified, less modulated forms of the oranges seem inconsistent with the swollen base of the jug, or the drapery with its contoured folds and ridges, while the fruit in the foreground hovers precariously on the fabric’s folds. It is as if Cezanne has brought together objects that have been painted at different times from different perspectives. With this intense and process-driven treatment, the prosaic items on display attain an enduring splendour.

Key facts

Details

Full title
Curtain, Jug and Dish of Fruit
Artist
Paul Cezanne
Artist dates
1839 - 1906
Date made
1893-4
Medium and support
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
59 × 72.4 cm
Acquisition credit
On loan from a private collection
Inventory number
L1345
Location
Room 45
Image copyright
On loan from a private collection, © Private Collection
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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