Plate with Fruit and Pot of Preserves (Assiette avec fruits et pot de conserves)

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

Beginning around 1877, Cézanne began to experiment with an exaggerated horizontal format for his still-life painting. Almost twice as wide as it is tall, the present canvas comfortably accommodates the expanse of the oblong-shaped plate and the compote of preserves on the side. The curves of the plate, jar, and fruit are counterbalanced by the straight lines of the quatrefoil-patterned wallpaper. The broad brushwork returns to Cézanne's earlier, heavier form of facture. Simple, spare, and small, the painting may allude to the modest reputation of the still-life genre.

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