Cézanne could not draw…

~ Live & Learn

Visitors to “Cézanne Drawing” at the Museum of Modern Art may be astonished to learn that critics once complained that the late 19th-century French artist could not draw. With about 280 graphite, ink and gouache drawings and watercolors—over a third of them from private collectors—and a handful of related oil paintings, the staggeringly beautiful show proves otherwise. Organized by Jodi Hauptman, senior curator at MoMA, and associate curator Samantha Friedman, it also argues convincingly that Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), a foundational painter of modern art, produced his most radical work on paper.

The exhibition, arranged in broad, thematic terms, opens with loose study sheets and pages from the artist’s sketchbooks. Cézanne drew almost daily over the course of his career, using standard studio materials, and produced more than 2,000 extant works on paper. Though they rarely served as straightforward preparations for his oil paintings, his drawings pull us directly into his potent creative orbit…

After a dark year of building walls between ourselves and the world, “Cézanne Drawing” invites us to discover at an exhilaratingly intimate range the luminous genius of an artist whose work remains as rewarding as it is demanding.

— Mary Tompkins Lewis, from “‘Cézanne Drawing’ Review: Radical With a Pencil” (wsj.com, June 21, 2021)

Notes: 1) Paul Cezanne ‘Still Life with Cut Watermelon’ (c. 1900), 2) Cézanne’s ‘Coat on a Chair’ (1890-92).

26 thoughts on “Cézanne could not draw…”

  1. A ha ha haaa…. it’s pretty obvious isn’t it?!!!!! The guy couldn’t draw!!!!!!!!!!
    Reminds me of the producer who listened to The Beatles and turned them down saying: “These guys won’t make it!” 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      1. “Stick man” reminds me of the profound black lines on white tiles in the Matisse Chapel. You would think they were just stick figures until you studied them (first time there benefited from the recording guide). What can I say? I’ve always remembered what he was able to do with those plain black lines. He and Cezanne and Monet and Manet and the artists of that period were all so amazing–gave us so much. Would love to see this show at MOMA.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  6. Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
    Way cool!! … “After a dark year of building walls between ourselves and the world, “Cézanne Drawing” invites us to discover at an exhilaratingly intimate range the luminous genius of an artist whose work remains as rewarding as it is demanding.” — Mary Tompkins Lewis, from “‘Cézanne Drawing’ Review: Radical With a Pencil” (wsj.com, June 21, 2021).

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. what rubbish – if Paul Cézan couldn’t paint I don’t know who could….
    He was hugely influencal on every French painter at his time and every time I visited my favourite Musée d’Orsay in Paris, I made sure to visit his collection of portraits. All those moody men and demure women, looking at you, following you with their eyes, or looking down to the ground, timid or bored or whatever (Have you ever seen paintings where the model looked to the ground? I know you didn’t) He painted and drew what he saw.
    I just wish I could visit that exhibition at the MoMA.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a Reply