Manet and the French impressionists: Pissarro--Claude Monet--Sisley--Renoir--Berthe Morisot--Cézanne--Guillaumin . use they cannot at once grasp its signifi-cance—it is the value of the pigment in and for itself, the strengthand harmony of the colour. Now Cezannes pictures offer a rangeof colour of great intensity and of extreme luminosity. From thisthe picture derives a strength independent of the subject; so muchso that a still life, a few apples and a napkin on a table, assume akind of grandeur, in the same degree as a human head or a land-scape with sea. This quality of the painting in its
Manet and the French impressionists: Pissarro--Claude Monet--Sisley--Renoir--Berthe Morisot--Cézanne--Guillaumin . use they cannot at once grasp its signifi-cance—it is the value of the pigment in and for itself, the strengthand harmony of the colour. Now Cezannes pictures offer a rangeof colour of great intensity and of extreme luminosity. From thisthe picture derives a strength independent of the subject; so muchso that a still life, a few apples and a napkin on a table, assume akind of grandeur, in the same degree as a human head or a land-scape with sea. This quality of the painting in itself, however, inwhich Cezannes superiority lies, was beyond the reach of thosewho beheld his works; on the other hand, those features whichappeared to them to be little less than monstrous forced themselvespainfully upon their vision. For this reason his work seemed tothem to merit only laughter, sarcasm, and abuse ; and of thisexpression of their opinion they were extremely lavish. At the exhibitions of 1874 and 1877, therefore, Cezanne foundhimself so absolutely despised, so hopelessly misunderstood, that. CEZANNE 183 for a long time he abstained from showing his works to the he took no part in any of the exhibitions organised bythe Impressionists. But holding himself aloof from the world, hecontinued to paint with the greatest keenness and devoted himself to the practice of his art with untiring case is remarkable in the history of painting. Here was aman who had suffered such harsh treatment in consequence of theexhibition of his works, that he refrained from submitting themagain to the public view. There was nothing to indicate to himthat a change would take place in popular opinion in his favour,either in the near future or, for that matter, ever at all. Heworked, therefore, not for the honour or renown which form soalluring an attraction to many artists, inasmuch as these rewardsappeared to be definitely withheld from him.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectpainting, bookyear191
