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 The Philadelphia Museum of Art looks at the influence
of artist Paul Cézanne.
The artist who painted these
pictures -- including the self-portrait on the left -- was almost
unknown during his lifetime. But he had a huge influence on the
artists who came after him. A new exhibit at the Philadelphia
Museum of Art looks at how this happened.
Paul Cézanne was born in 1839 in southern France, the
son of a wealthy banker. His father wanted him to become a banker,
too. But Cézanne wanted to be an artist, so he worked
at that. He didn't make much money, and he had to struggle to
support his wife and family. The paintings he sent to art galleries
were usually turned down. Many art critics of his time made fun
of his work. Some were even angered by his style of painting,
because it was so different from what other painters were doing
at the time. Why do you think he didn't give up his dream?
Cézanne didn't have a lot of friends. Some people
thought he was grumpy and bad-tempered. Actually, he was polite,
but very shy. One person he admired and who taught him a great
deal was the artist Camille Pissarro. He was a leader of a new
painting style called impressionism. Impressionists tried to
paint quickly, capturing images of what their eyes could see
with a quick glance. They used bright colors and quick, short
brush strokes. Cezanne didn't want his paintings to look like
quick glances at an image. He wanted his pictures to look permanent,
and perfectly arranged. So he developed his own style of painting.
What do you think of the paintings you see here?
 
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