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Paul Cézanne

Still Life with Apples, ca. 1878

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Paul Cézanne, 1839-1906, French

Title

Still Life with Apples

Year

ca. 1878

Medium

Oil on canvas

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • oil paint

Supports

  • canvas

Dimensions

23.2 x 39.7 cm (9 1/8 x 15 5/8 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

In the upper left corner of the outer frame, in red paint is the RISD accession number "41.012." To the right of this is a new white RISD Museum label.In the upper right inner frame, on a white label is the number typed in red "79.1974" below which is the accession number in red marker "41.012" and to the left of the accession number are the red typewritten letters "JAM". In the upper left corner of the stretcher in red paint is the RISD accession number "41.012".Below the accession number is a circular stamp with writing around the border of the center; in the center of the stamp is probably the word "Paris".To the right of the stamp is the number "3" in pencil. In the upper right corner of the strainer are remnants of a white or cream label, below that label in pencil is the number "645".In the lower center on the verso stretcher is a circular stamp with writing on the border and illegible writing in the middle. In the lower left corner of the stretcher is a circular label on which is written in black "6251".In the lower left corner is a rectangular stamp with the words "Made in France".On the left side of the horizontal brace is what appears to be a set of markings that have been scratched over with blue.To the right of this marking in brown ink and upside down are a series of numbers, possibly a "95..." with several more numbers following that are obscured by the blue markings to the left.In the center of the horizontal brace is an old rectangular label with blue typewritten numbers "3.501" and is struck through with blue.TO the right of this label is a vertical stamp, possibly a "5" or an "S" and then an "F E B" followed by a "19...".In graphite on the right side of the horizontal stretcher are the letters "P H" beneath which is an earlier diamond shaped stamp, with two lines of illegible writing in the center.TO the right of the diamond shaped stamp is a circular stamp with writing on the border, which is illegible. On the vertical cross-bar, on the upper portion is the number "3" and what appears to be an "8" but the third number is illegible.In the upper left quadrant on the canvas is a circular stamp with writing around the border that is illegible. In the upper right quadrant of the canvas in the center is a diamond shaped stamp with a horizontal line of writing that is faded and almost totally illegible.Overlapping with the diamond stamp is a circular stamp with writing around the border and is faded to the point of being illegible. Next to the circular stamp is a rectangular stamp with what appears to be a "5" but could be an "S" followed by "F E B" and then another set of four numbers that are illegible.This set of three stamps are identical to the stamps on the horizontal crossbar. In the lower left quadrant of the canvas in the center, is a small circular stamp with illegible writing on the border.To the left of the small stamp is a larger circular stamp that is very faint and has illegible writing.

Place

France

Type

  • Paintings

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Murray S. Danforth

Object Number

41.012

Projects & Publications

Publications

The World is an Apple

The Still Lives of Paul Cezanne

European Paintings and Sculpture, ca. 1770 - 1937

Exchange Exhibition, Exhibition Exchange

From the Collection of Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University; From the Collection of The Museum of Art, Rhode

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Inventing Impressionism

October 21, 2016 - June 11, 2017

Cézanne often chose traditional still-life motifs to explore his interest in representing the sensations conveyed by nature. The solidity, disappearing edges, and internal color shifts he found in apples made them ideal subjects for his methods of construction. Here he used short parallel strokes to sculpt eight apples of various sizes and shapes. He emphasized their roundness and separateness by outlining each one, faceting their curved surfaces with brilliant lozenges of color that suggest volume and weight. Nestled together on the woven-rush seat of a provincial chair, the apples catch light from the left and cast long, green, fingerlike shadows at right.

Better Still

February 6 - May 2, 2004

Cubism and Its Affinities

September 1 - December 10, 1995

From the Reserve III

July 8 - December 4, 1994

European Painting and Sculpture, circa 1770-1937

October 18, 1991 - January 26, 1992

From Bastille to Beaubourg

July 7 - August 26, 1989

Masterpieces from the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design

July 18 - September 14, 1979

Exchange Exhibition of Paintings from Rose Museum, Brandeis University

February 16 - April 2, 1967

Cézanne

September 23 - October 20, 1954

European Galleries

Cézanne often chose traditional still-life motifs to explore his interest in representing the sensations conveyed by nature. The solidity, disappearing edges, and internal color shifts he found in apples made them ideal subjects for his methods of construction. Here he used short parallel strokes to sculpt eight apples of various sizes and shapes. He emphasized their roundness and separateness by outlining each one, faceting their curved inner surfaces with brilliant lozenges of color that combine to suggest volume and weight. Nestled together on the woven seat of a chair, they catch light from the left and cast long, green, fingerlike shadows at right.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Still Life with Apples with the accession number of 41.012. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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