Cezanne: Apples 1878
Book this sessionUse Cezanne's constructivist brushtrokes and his treatment of edges in this stylised still life.
Title: Apples 1878
Original Title:
Creator: Cezanne
Date Created: 1878
Style:
Physical Dimensions:
Medium: Oil on canvas
Provenance:
Colours
Palette: Basic
OrangeWhat will we learn in this session?
What will we learn in this session?
Cezanne
Composition
Counterpoint
Major Scale
Perspective
Constructivist Brush StrokeMy final version
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-002.jpg)
As well as digital teaching materials we use one of my interpretations to more clearly see the brushtrokes and texture.
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-003.jpg)
A thumbnail sketch helps us see the strong tonal design by removing detail.
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-004.jpg)
Cezanne places seven almost identical objects into a composition which may be thought to represent the fundamental scale of Western Music.
❝Doh - re- mi - fa - soh - la - ti- doh
❞
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-005.jpg)
Cezanne's "constructivist" brushstrokes define planes on an object.
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-006.jpg)
... they also show the variations in light falling on a surface.
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-007.jpg)
Dark outlines draw our attention to edges and also to receding planes.
Student Paintings
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-008.jpg)
Having found the lines of counterpoint the student is defining the darkest tones first.
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-009.jpg)
Laying down a base coat of red on that apple gives the canvas a huge lift!
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-010.jpg)
This student has worked on all the "positive space" first.
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-011.jpg)
By way of contrast, this student has mapped all the
negative space first!
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-012.jpg)
Drawing the positive and negative spaces together.
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-013.jpg)
Naomi's Cezanne incorporated a pop culture reference, with a couple of "smiley face" or you might call them "emoticon apples"!
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-014.jpg)
The gorgeous backgound textures on Naomi's Cezanne are difficult to capture with a camera.
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-015.jpg)
Penny's Apples included a Valentine!
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-016.jpg)
Cherry's Apples showed her preference for Baroque texturing.
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-017.jpg)
Alex managed to capture the "squared-off" shapes that Cezanne preferred. This gives the simple sphere a lot of energy.
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-018.jpg)
Tina's apples displayed soft, blended textures. She later overlaid some constructivist Cezanne strokes with impasto.
![](http://www.inglisacademy.com/img/cezanne/apples-1878-019.jpg)
Detail from Tina's Cezanne.