Cezanne's Early Imagery

Cézanne's Early Imagery by Mary Tompkins Lewis explores the lesser-known but significant early works of Paul Cézanne, bringing to light the rich cultural and artistic context of his first decade as a painter. While Cézanne's biographers have long emphasized his tumultuous early life—marked by his friendship with Emile Zola, his rebellious nature, and his passionate yet crude persona—the actual paintings from this period have often been overshadowed. Lewis addresses this gap in Cézanne scholarship by examining how his early works reflect deep connections to both popular and artistic traditions, revealing a more nuanced and deliberate painter than previously recognized. Through detailed analysis of Cézanne's early subject pictures, Lewis moves beyond the conventional view of the artist as an impulsive romantic. Instead, she argues that his early paintings are stylistically and iconographically coherent, shaped by both his engagement with the old masters and his awareness of contemporary cultural currents. Highlighting the contributions of previous scholars such as Roger Fry and Meyer Schapiro, Lewis builds on their groundwork to offer a comprehensive reappraisal of Cézanne's early compositions. Ultimately, this study provides a deeper understanding of the young painter's creative process and the intellectual depth behind his bold, defiant imagery, enriching our appreciation of his role in modern art.

This title was originally published in 1989.

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