France, late 19th-early 20th Century / c. 1895–1900
The Brook
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs The Brook as painting (France, late 19th-early 20th Century · c. 1895–1900).
Cezanne rarely did preparatory sketches for his paintings. The shapes on the canvas are provided by tonal contrasts and color sensation.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as oil on fabric and credits Paul Cezanne (French, 1839–1906).
The museum's collection notes: Although Cezanne exhibited twice with the Impressionists, he rejected his friends’ goals of capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere in their art. Instead, he sought to create balance among the forms and colors in his compositions. This painting depicts the valley of the Arc River that runs southeast of Cezanne’s home in Aix-en-Provence. Throughout the composition, he juxtaposed strokes of different hues, describing the leaves, branches, and the stream with color rather than drawing the outlines of forms.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtThe BrookOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.