The Father of Us All: Paul Cezanne

Paul Cezanne is regarded today as one of the most influential artists of all time, and a pivotal figure in the transition from Impressionism to Modernism, including Cubism or Post-Impressionistic tendencies. His career was one that knew fame in his own life, but also came with its degree of suffering and hardship. During the reign of Napoleon, a number of his works were regarded as revolutionary, and he was refused exhibition space in the Parisian galleries.

Political and national upheavals refused to diminish his skill however, as Cezanne moved away from a more literal presentation of painting style, and instead started to play with perspective, impression, and form. His later paintings have been described as emulating the human impression, often with the subjects off-center, or with subtly skewed proportions.

For the collector of Cezanne prints, however, it can perhaps seem like an uphill struggle! What the collector faces, on many occasions, is the sheer import and fame of the artist, and the high esteem in which that they are already held by the professional art world. The same could not be more true for a painter's artist such as Paul Cezanne (especially given his transformative legacy for modern art).

There are some clues for the dedicated collector - one is the availability of French Parisian fine art presses which can still be found. An archival reprint of any of Cezanne's works can cost as little as under fifty dollars from an online retailer, meaning that it is possible to engage with the artist's work on almost any level of interest: amateur or professional. For those who seek the more rarified Cezanne work, then the publishers Bernheim-Jeune or Vollard Editeur limited editions can still be found, some even numbered. These will cost a few thousand dollars, however.

http://www.paul-cezanne.org/