Brushstrokes, Patches, and Planes
Paul Cézanne was an innovator who broke away from the traditional mode of painting portraits, landscapes, and still lifes. Through his work, he taught countless younger artists new ways of representing the world.
This resource offers teachers and students the opportunity to study Cézanne’s groundbreaking style and see his work juxtaposed with the work of two groups of American artists:
• 18th- and 19th-century artists who preceded Cézanne and worked in a traditional manner
• 20th-century artists who followed Cézanne and were influenced by his innovative style
You can use the resource in several ways:
Mix & Match Comparisons
Start out with this easy and fun interactive. Set up your own comparisons of artworks by Cézanne and American artists from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.
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Look & Learn Guides
One-page resources introduce the work of individual artists. Discussion questions encourage careful looking and focus on main ideas. Artworks and resources are organized in six sets:
Cézanne Challenge Project
Encourage your students to learn from Cézanne by incorporating examples of his portraits, landscapes, and still lifes into your own curriculum. Challenge your students to experiment with brushstrokes, patches, and planes in their own work. Help build an online community of young artists by submitting your students' best results to the BMA for possible posting on the Museum's Flickr page.
Artists Timeline
This chronology (1760-1920) lists the artworks in this resource that were created before, during, and after Cézanne’s productive years.
Cézanne Biography
This biography describes key moments in Cézanne’s life and work.
