Paul Cezanne Still Life with Fruit Basket

The round forms of the ginger pot and sugar bowl echo the shapes of the nearby fruit, thereby bringing man-made objects and nature into a harmonious kinship. A npkin or tablecloth, which has been pulled aside, breaks the monotony and serves as a neutral backdrop for a colorful display. An elaborate still-life of fruit and objects is displayed on a small table. It was probably painted in the attic studio of the Cezanne family mansion, Jas de Bouffan. In the background Cezanne quotes one of his own earlier works, a painted screen, which dates back to the late 1850s when he decorated the house together with Zola. Here it serves as a compositional device, closing the design at the left side behind the high table.