The Basket of Apples (1895) – Paul Cezanne
Arrangements of fruit, flowers, glasses, a violin,
objects seemingly unconnected, not unlike my own
still lifes, unpainted, unsketched, preserved in words,
sharing a reflected surface, each a self-portrait.
Life is never still. But we try.
Vanitas with Violin and Glass Ball (1628) – Pieter Claesz
ABOUT THE PAINTINGS:
I first heard about Cezanne’s apples via a quote by Ernest Hemingway that sent me to the library to find the paintings. Cezanne brought back still lifes and made it a popular subject for Picasso, Matisse, Morandi, and Braque. I like that some objects (bottle, basket, fruits) are unbalanced. They are tilted and the whole composition is unlike the balanced and precise placements of earlier still lifes such as those from the Dutch Golden Age. Pieter Claesz was known for his vanitas or still lifes which contain symbols of death or change as a reminder of their inevitability. Shown here is his most famous painting which contains amongst the many objects a glass sphere which shows him at the painting at his easel.
