The Art of Paul Cézanne: The Eye in Service to the Mind
David Gariff, senior lecturer, National Gallery of Art

Paul Cézanne sought to systematize the randomness of impressionism and to find an analytical way of seeing the world. His paintings express a new vocabulary of art and a new interpretation of the nature of visual experience. Cézanne's working methods grew out of his intent to produce paintings that captured solid form rather than the fugitive effects of his influential French predecessors. His subject matter ranged widely to include portraits, self-portraits, landscapes, scenes of everyday activities such as card playing, and still lifes.

Cézanne's belief that "there are two things in the painter, the eye and the mind; each of them should aid the other" was taken to heart by the young Picasso. In 1943, Picasso declared that Paul Cézanne was “my one and only master.” Indeed, with the artistic achievement of Cézanne, modern art would chart a new and challenging course. This lecture is an exploration of Cézanne's revolutionary art and an introduction to the Cézanne Portraits exhibition at the National Gallery of Art (on view March 25-July 1, 2018).

$15 door fee for guests and subscribers