CULTURE | Review
The EXHIBITIONIST
Ed Vaizey celebrates the first major Cézanne exhibition in a quarter of a century
I
was lucky enough to be appointed a trustee of Tate earlier this year. As well as the privilege of being part of one of the greatest art museums in the world, I’ve been fortunate to see some thrilling exhibition openings and some great days out in Liverpool and St Ives. Now two of my great loves are coming together, with the blockbuster Cézanne exhibition that has just opened at Tate Modern. I am a huge fan of Cézanne, and regularly check in with his paintings at the Courtauld, which has a significant collection (Samuel Courtauld shared my passion for the artist, though with significantly more money he built Britain’s first major collection of the artist’s works). This is the first major Cézanne exhibition in London for a quarter of a century. It is not to be missed, and it is being described as a oncein-a-generation opportunity. Put together by Tate with the Art Institute of Chicago, it brings twenty paintings that have never been to Britain before. There’s a total of 80 works on display, covering the entire span of Cézanne’s career in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. Poignantly, the catalogue was written by Achim Borchardt-Hume, the director of exhibitions at Tate, who died tragically young last year at the age of 56. Cézanne was not exactly the definition of a struggling artist. His father was a wealthy banker who, despite not wanting his son to be an artist,
supported him financially and left him a large inheritance, which meant he did not need to work. He was, however, somewhat of a loner. Although he spent some time in Paris and was close to the writer Émile Zola (a school friend) and the painter Camille Pissarro (his first mentor), he gradually over time withdrew from the world and based himself in Provence, where his beautiful landscapes are set. Like many artists, Cézanne was not fully appreciated in his lifetime. In his last years in Provence, he was widely ridiculed by local critics and even accused of bringing shame on the region. However, after his death in 1906, his art began to be appreciated more and more. He is now widely regarded as the bridge between Impressionism and Cubism, and both Matisse and Picasso (and many others) acknowledged the debt they owed him. And to be crude for a moment, one of his paintings sold for the third largest sum ever, somewhere north of $300 million. So, I think it’s fair to say he has arrived. What is it I love about Cézanne? It’s his use of colour and colour blocks, which turn the natural landscapes of Provence into mesmerising tableaux of calm beauty which keep you transfixed. Or a bowl of fruit into an object of ever-changing and fascinating beauty. Or his simple, flowing portraits which draw you into a conversation. Any Cézanne is instantly recognisable, and his contribution to modern art is invaluable. Cézanne is at Tate Modern until 12 March 2023. tate.org.uk FROM TOP: Bathers (1874-5) by Cézanne, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Still Life With Apples (1893-4) by Cézanne, from the J Paul Getty Museum; The François Zola Dam (1877-8) by Cézanne, from Amgueddfa Cymru
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