A century after being rejected by his own homeland, Paul Cézanne - the master painter known as the "father of modern art" - has finally been officially honored by the city of Aix-en-Provence (Southern France) with an unprecedented large-scale exhibition.
At the Granet Museum, more than 135 of Cézanne's oil paintings, sketches and engravings are on display in the exhibition space titled “Cézanne au Jas de Bouffan” (Cézanne at Home).
This event not only recreates his artistic journey closely linked to the sunny land of Provence, but is also the center of a series of events celebrating the “Year of Cézanne 2025” organized by the city government, aiming to permanently close the historical rift between the artist and his birthplace.
Mr. Bruno Ely - Director of the Granet Museum and curator of the exhibition Cézanne au Jas de Bouffan - shared: "The Provence region that Cézanne painted was actually very small, but it was enough for him to redefine painting."
The works on display at this exhibition depict a clear transformation in Cézanne's artistic style: from the dense dark paintings applied with a palette knife in his youth, to the impressive paintings with enchanting light and space, then gradually moving to the pre-cubist style, strongly influencing Picasso and Braque later.
The exhibition runs from June 28 to October 12, with works gathered from more than 12 countries, including museums and private collectors.
This event took place in parallel with the restoration of the Villa Jas de Bouffan - where the Cézanne family once lived.
According to experts, the young artist used to paint colorful murals in the living room of this villa, perhaps to convince his father - a banker - that art is as valuable as finance or law.
Despite being one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Cézanne was shunned by critics and his home country's government until the end of his life.
After his death in 1906, the curator of the Granet museum firmly declared: “As long as I live, no Cézanne painting will be allowed in this museum.”
For decades, the Granet museum kept only a simple copy of the classical painting, painted by Cézanne as a student.
It was not until 2006, 100 years after his death, that the Granet Museum held its first exhibition on Cézanne. And now, in 2025, the whole city has turned back to the great son they once rejected./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/trien-lam-dac-biet-tai-phap-ton-vinh-danh-hoa-bi-choi-bo-paul-cezanne-post1047270.vnp
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