La Montagne Sainte Victoire au grand pin FWN 235 1887 60 x 90 cm
Sugar bowl, pears and blue cup FWN 706 1865/6 30cm x 41
View of Louveciennes, d’apres Pissarro FWN 63 1872 73 x 92 cm
Grand pin et terres rouges FWN 274 1895 72 x 91 cm
It was a time in-between. Cezanne had become more and more dissatisfied with Impressionism; it wasn’t just the constant hubble and bubble of the annual Impressionist Exhibitions, with the critics’ clamour of criticisms constantly culminating in crude and often just downright rude jibes at Cezanne personally. It wasn’t even because Cezanne did not enjoy the company of his fellow artists, though some were more tolerable than others! nor was it the entertainment of the café life of Montmartre – though he could only take so much! No, Cezanne had not achieved in his time as an Impressionist, what he wanted to; or rather, he had been an Impressionist artist, for sure – he rather reluctantly would admit to it later in life – but it had not satisfied him: it was not sufficient. Yes, maybe necessary, but not sufficient. And so, he journeyed into a space in-between.
In-between what? He knew not. For what he yearned for, had not yet ever existed.
It was to be a long time in-between – more than a decade. There would be ups and downs; good paintings, and a few so bad they would have to be ripped in two. Cezanne had already given up the methods and techniques of traditional, classic art. He must now venture into a space, in-between, of reaching into the unknown; of believing without seeing.
This is what the 1880’s was like for Paul Cezanne.
The classic response to such a “dark night” is that it is a necessary part of the journey: so you need to keep plodding on, with resolution, trying different techniques, going back again to where you felt the inspiration, withdrawing into your own world to sort out the acquired rubbish, hoping to cleanse yourself in preparation for the new dawn. These dozen years of Cezanne’s development acquired the name of his “constructivist phase”: he built up his paintings, brick by brick, slowly, methodically; trying all the while to reach that balance and clarity and beauty that he felt, but that so often slipped through his fingers. He wanted to make of Impressionism, something of more substance, something solid like the Old Masters: these were the words he would use, without knowing what they really meant.
Frustrating though it may be, he knew that he could not stop now; but, equally, he knew in his heart of hearts that his efforts alone would not be sufficient – inspiration is not a possession; neither is it something you can learn, and then grasp and hold on to: rather it is something that approaches us, something that invites us to forsake everything for the hidden treasure.
Living in-between is a risky business.
I’ve chosen one painting from each of Cezanne’s four phases to start off this session of blogs. I hope you enjoy them, and that they give you a sense of Cezanne’s development. I’ve chosen his ‘Sugar bowl, pears and blue cup’ from his initial, ballsy phase of the 1860’s because it’s so earthy and gross; the view of Louveciennes that he painted with and in the style of Pissarro from his Impressionist phase of the 1870’s; his colours are illuminated, and subtle. Then, one of the Montagne Sainte Victoire from this the constructivist phase that we’re just starting to look at in this collection of blogs (the 1880’s). And lastly ‘The Great Pine and Red Earth’ from his final phase, 1890 ish to 1906, for its integrated unity; one of my favourites and one of his best! – it’ll have a blog to itself later, I promise!
Further, I want to suggest that the socio-economic, cultural and institutional development of France in the 1880’s mirrored the same ‘time in-between’ as Cezanne’s development: France had glimpsed the glory of the Republic in the declaration of the values of freedom, fraternity and equality; after three brutal and bloody attempts, the declaration, the Republic, was here to stay, no going back. But the sandcastle of the vision of a new order, seemed to slip through the fingers. Something of more substance, something more solid, was required. We’ll see how this plays out in relation to Cezanne’s artistic and personal development.
And maybe, it’s not too far-fetched to suggest that we today might be in a time in-between: having a glimpse of what could be, but not yet able to make of it a solid foundation for a wholesome and sustainable future for our earth.
I hope you enjoy the journey of these blogs.
Through this veil there is a beautiful walk
the beloved beckons, for me to follow:
but in my mind, I think “Oh, crazy talk -
there can only ever be six ways to go:
either north, or south, or east, or go west,
you could go up and, if you wanted, go down -
these are surely the limits of any quest”.
Come, my love gestures, let us not delay.
“but surely we can’t go through this courtyard
running barefoot over cracks and thorns
I’ll never make it – it’s just too hard”.
Come, my beloved, I’ve escaped many times:
enter the garden of secluded roses.
alāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (Persian: جلالالدین محمد رومی) 1207 - 1273 (adapted by Mike B)