← Paul Cézanne

Still-Life with a Watermelon and Pomegranates

Original title: Still-Life with a Watermelon and Pomegranates

Artist

Paul Cézanne

Date

1900–1906

Medium

Watercolor over graphite on laid paper

Dimensions

sheet: 12 3/8 x 19 3/16 in. (31.4 x 48.8 cm)

Credit line

The Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Collection, Gift of Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg, 2001, Bequest of Walter H. Annenberg, 2002

kurzbeschreibung

Paul Cézanne made this watercolor between 1900 and 1906. It features a watermelon, two pomegranates, and two blue-green vases. He used watercolor over graphite on laid paper. The arrangement stretches horizontally, with the fruit in front and the vessels behind.

Description

Two pomegranates sit in the foreground, one yellow and the other red, next to a blue-green lidded vase decorated with flowers. Behind them rises a second blue-green vase, this one without a lid; on the left, part of a white vessel with a handle appears. Light enters from the right, highlighting shadows and reflections on the objects. The colors are bright and translucent, and the strokes flow, remaining slightly irregular, as is typical of watercolor. The overall palette feels warm, and the objects are evenly distributed across the surface.

Context

In his late period, Cézanne devoted himself intensely to still life and to the challenge of rendering light and form. He used watercolor to test color and composition, often in parallel with his oil paintings. His choice of fruit and simple vessels reflects his preference for everyday motifs, which he grouped anew again and again. The work was created while Cézanne was working in Aix-en-Provence and increasingly focusing on reduced forms and the harmony of colors.

Impact

The transparent watercolor washes give the still life a lightness and freshness that feels almost sketch-like. The warm palette and the incoming light create a calm, familiar mood that invites close looking at the objects. The simple arrangement appears balanced and harmonious.

Technique

Cézanne applied watercolor over a graphite drawing on laid paper, using the medium's transparency to convey light and shadow. The fluid, sometimes irregular strokes make the brushwork visible and reveal a spontaneous working method. In some places the paper is left unpainted, which enhances the lightness of the construction.

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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)