2006—the “year of Cézanne”
The master painter Paul Cézanne, considered by many art critics to be the father of modern art, died 100 years ago at the age of 67. A native of Aix-en-Provence, in the south of France, he spent almost his whole life there, except for a few years when he lived in Paris and was part of a small circle of Impressionist painters.
In spite of Cézanne’s connection to Aix, and the fact that many of his works celebrated the surrounding landscape, the Aix Museum was slow to recognize the genius of this native son. The Museum banned his works for years, considering them too radical.
Of course, all is forgiven with the passage of time, and to celebrate the centenary of his death, a large retrospective exhibition will be held in Aix, along with many other related events.
The National Gallery in Washington, DC, will also host a large exhibition of Cézanne’s works, focusing on those depicting the landscape of Provence. While this exhbition will gather works by Cézanne from many private and public collections around the world, the National Gallery itself has an extensive Cézanne collection, and many images can be viewed on line.
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