House and Trees (Maison et arbres)

Discussion

FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

During Cézanne's time, abandoned houses were common in the countryside of Provence due to the rules of inheritance, which distributed property equally among sons. Here Cézanne records specific details of the structure, like the thick crack on the facade that leads up to a small window. The relationship of the house to the surrounding wall is difficult to discern, particularly in the left-hand corner, where the perspective seems to shift. Such deliberate spatial ambiguities are typical of Cezanne's landscapes from this period.

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