Special exhibition labels
Corot to Cézanne
French Drawings from the
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon at
the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
January 25 – June 2, 2013
Curated by
Bruce Boucher, Director
UVaM TheFralin
The Fralin Museum of Art University of Virginia Art Museums
Thomas H. Bayly Building . 155 Rugby Road . Charlottesville VA 22904-4119
www.virginia.edu/artmuseum
Corot to Cézanne
Introduction
French Drawings from the Collection of
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon’s generous gifts to the Commonwealth of Virginia include French,
British sporting, and American paintings and sculpture on permanent display at the VMFA,
as well as over a thousand prints and drawings. Because of their fragility, these drawings can only be
shown on a rotating basis, making this exhibition an exceptional opportunity to view highlights
from their important collection of French works. The drawings span almost 150 years, from
the nineteenth to the early twentieth century, and include masters such as Géricault, Delacroix,
Ingres, Renoir, Pissarro, Degas, Cézanne, and Picasso. A small group of works by other artists are
included by virtue of their affinity with the aims of the French School during one of its most
creative and innovative periods. The works on exhibit here range from formal, academic studies to
more experimental ones; they document not only change across the period but also within the
oeuvre of individual artists.
In his autobiography, Paul Mellon wrote of his affinity for works such as these, noting that
“…preliminary drawings or sketches in oil or pastel often have an immediacy and emotional
appeal far greater than the final canvas.” It is hoped that visitors to this exhibition will share
Mr. Mellon’s enthusiasm.
The Fralin Museum of Art’s programming is made possible by the generous support of The Joseph and Robert Cornell
Memorial Foundation.
This exhibition has been organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and is supported by The Fralin Museum of Art Volunteer
Board, Albemarle Magazine, and Ivy Publications LLC’s Charlottesville Welcome Book.
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The Fralin Museum of Art | Corot to Cézanne
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
French, 1796–1875
Labels
Landscape (Paysage animé), mid-19th century
Pen and wash on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 95.25
In this image, Corot constructed a landscape from wispy lines, carefully controlled scribbles, and
monochromatic watercolor washes. The few figures are tiny compared to the idyllic and majestic
landscape. The artist draws the spectator from the foreground brush into the clearing and beyond to
the small town, where only a bell tower is visible.
Eugène Delacroix
French, 1798–1863
Profile Portrait of Elisa Boulanger, 1839
Pencil on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 95.27
In these three faint informal studies, Delacroix took a characteristically unexpected view of his subject.
Clearly these are not preparatory for the usual static frontal portrait of the day. The artist was obviously
taken by the subject’s elaborate fashionable hairstyle.
Narcissus, c. 1830s–1840s
Watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 95.26
An ardent Romantic, Delacroix produced precise studies of the natural world. His watercolor sketch
of a single narcissus contains many of the qualities that would have been prevalent in scientific imagery,
including careful attention to detail and a blank background, against which the plant appears to float.
Study of a Horse, early- to mid-19th century
Black crayon on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.760
In this careful sketch, Delacroix undermines the classical-idealist tradition of depicting the horse as
hero by replacing the muscular body and fiery nature of a stallion with a realistic rendition of a
workhorse. The drooping neck, unkempt mane and tail, precariously thin body, and sagging back all
suggest that this horse has had a difficult life. Delacroix left this sketch in an unfinished state, with
the head and neck the most finely wrought and the back legs scarcely blocked out with a couple of
lines, thus informing the viewer that the subject was studied from life.
The Fralin Museum of Art | Corot to Cézanne
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Constantin Guys
French, 1802/5–1892
Lantern Sellers (Des lampions), c. 1860s
Pen, ink, and watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.782
Throughout his life, Constantin Guys remained fascinated with the city as a theme. In this image, small
children are captivated by the wares of a lamp seller who carries his goods on a rack above his head
and in a large wicker basket. Behind them, adults peer into windows of shops—on the left, a print shop
(with the image of a horse visible in the top row) and on the right, perhaps a chandelier shop.
The poet and critic Baudelaire perceived that Guys possessed an ability to relate, as an outsider, to
large groups of people: “The crowd is his element, as air is the birds, or water the fishes. His passion
and his profession consist in espousing the crowd.”
Jean-Auguste-Dominque Ingres
French, 1780–1867
The Reverend Joseph Church, Rector of Frettenham, 1816
Pencil on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 95.35
This portrait was almost certainly made by Ingres when the Reverend Joseph Church was on a trip to
Rome with his brother Thomas Church, whom he also drew in 1816. The final digit in the date
of this drawing is indistinct, but Thomas Church’s drawing is clearly dated 1816. This is one of many
superb pencil drawings executed by Ingres in Rome to help pay his way between 1806 and 1824.
Most of these are of English tourists after the end of the Napoleonic wars. They are notable for their
linear descriptions, and, although Ingres tended to play down his portraiture, they are remarkable for
their precision of detail.
Portrait of Monsieur Jacques Marquet de Montbreton de Norvins, 1811
Pencil on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund, 85.6
The subject of this drawing served as General Director of Police in the Papal States, which in 1811
were under Napoleon’s control. Ingres made this perceptive rendering on May 1, 1811, the saint’s day
of the sitter. Here, Ingres drew his subject on a single piece of paper bearing an English watermark
(G. Jones/1805).
Carle Vernet
French, 1758–1836
Mameluke on Horseback with Bow and Arrow, c. 1800
Watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.820
Baudelaire wrote of Vernet, “His work is a world in itself.” In this drawing, Vernet invites his audience into
a realm of open conflict. He shows a Mameluke, a slave soldier, drawing his bow to fire at European troops.
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Eugène Boudin
French, 1824–1898
Scenes of Races at Deauville, 1866
Pencil and watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.741
Boudin’s choice of subject for this sketch demonstrates the growing interest among late
nineteenth-century painters in illustrating scenes of contemporary life. This watercolor depicts the
Deauville-La Touques Racecourse and shows the artist striving to capture all aspects of the race.
Boudin may have quickly sketched the action before him and added the color later.
On the Beach at Trouville, Numerous Parasols, 1873
Pencil and watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.740
Trouville was one of the earliest seaside resorts established during the latter half of the nineteenth
century when sea bathing became a popular pastime. This bright and lively view of the populated
beach highlights the vast number of parasols popular among fashionable ladies of the time. Boudin
prefigured Impressionism with his sensitive and subtle awareness of light and his quick brushwork.
A mentor to Claude Monet, Boudin was central to the Impressionist movement’s early development.
Breton Women on a Beach, c. 1870–1880
Pencil and watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Bequest of Douglas H. Gordon, 86.385
In this thoughtful sketch, the artist chose to show a scene of work instead of leisure. Seated on the
beach, a group of women wait to help gather the day’s catch from the men returning from sea.
Brittany was known in the 1800s for its bountiful fishing and oyster beds. Probably sketched en plein
air (out of doors), Boudin anticipated the preferences of the Impressionist painters for folkloric and
exotic cultures.
Giovanni Boldini
Italian, 1842–1931
Young Woman Driving a Carriage (Jeune femme conduisant son attelage), c. 1880s
Watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 93.68
Most famous for his portraits of fashionable ladies, Giovanni Boldini was born and trained in Italy.
In the 1870s he moved to Paris, where he developed his signature swift and bold brushwork, which
echoed the painting technique of the Impressionists. It is this masterful brushwork that gives his
paintings a feeling of motion, as seen in this watercolor sketch of a fashionable carriage. The sketch also
conveys Boldini’s ability to create stylized compositions reflecting the elegance of modern Parisian living.
The Fralin Museum of Art | Corot to Cézanne
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Edgar Degas
French, 1834–1917
Seated Jockey, c. 1880
Black chalk on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 99.104
Degas was intrigued by the social spectacle of the racetrack, as well as the energy and personality of
the racehorse and the jockey. He made hundreds of sketches that convey the variety of activities and
emotions among horses and riders. This rider appears confident, relaxed, and in control of his mount.
Jockey Facing Left, c. 1870–1880
Blue pastel on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 99.105
Capturing the various attitudes of jockeys was a challenge Degas enjoyed. As opposed to Seated Jockey
nearby, the figure drawn here is tense with energy. This sketch may be the artist’s attempt to depict
the jockey in the act of riding. Degas’s lines appear to vibrate, giving his jockey a feeling of controlled
power and movement.
Jean-Baptiste-Armand Guillaumin
French, 1841–1927
The Caravans, 1889
Pastel on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.778
French painter Jean-Baptiste-Armand Guillaumin was a friend of the Impressionists with whom he
exhibited. He has lately undergone a reevaluation and consequent resurgence in popularity. Guillaumin
developed his landscape style while painting outdoors in the suburbs of Paris, a style best characterized
by his use of rich, dense colors. This lively pastel drawing is an example of his bold application of
brightly saturated colors, which he deliberately juxtaposes to create striking chromatic contrasts.
Johan Barthold Jongkind
Dutch, 1819–1891
View near Grenoble, 1880
Pencil and watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.787
Dutch-born painter Johan Barthold Jongkind spent most of his professional life in France. He was an
avid watercolorist who sought to capture the subtleties of light and nature. His landscapes reveal his
bold and thoughtful compositions as well as his use of dramatic light and shade. This particular scene
of Grenoble, with its boldly washed sky, demonstrates the artist’s free handling of color.
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Berthe Morisot
French, 1841–1895
Girl in a Garden, c. 1890
Watercolor on board
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.794
Berthe Morisot was an integral member of the Impressionist inner circle and an accomplished painter
whose work appeared in all but one of the eight Impressionist exhibitions held between 1874 and
1886. Morisot’s subjects were those most acceptable for women artists: landscapes, domestic scenes,
and portraits of her family rather than scenes of the demi-monde favored by her male counterparts.
In this case, the subject is possibly her daughter, Julie Manet.
Camille Pissarro
French, 1831–1903
Old Man Seated on a Bank (Study for Le père melon en repos), c. 1879
Black chalk on buff paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.797
The Impressionist movement produced many images of modern city life, but some painters, Pissarro
especially, were concerned with capturing rural life. In this drawing, Pissarro shows an elderly man seated
on a river bank, at one with his surroundings. His pose and costume suggest that he is a rural laborer.
Group of Trees, 1857
Charcoal on green paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.798
Camille Pissarro was a key member of the Impressionist movement and the only painter to exhibit works
in all eight of the Impressionist exhibitions held between 1874 and 1886. Pissarro was a dedicated
landscape painter, as this detailed charcoal sketch demonstrates. A very early drawing, it is an excellent
example of Pissarro’s pre-Impressionist style. The composition is academic—a study of the structure of the
trees rather than an impression of the play of light upon them.
Road to Éragny, c. 1884
Pencil and watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 99.113
While Group of Trees illustrated the artist’s expert handling of academic drawing, this watercolor shows
Pissarro’s mature, Impressionist style. The composition of the sketch captures a more subjective view and
demonstrates a shift in focus from structure to light—here lightly washed in broad areas of color.
Two Peasant Women, c. 1882
Black chalk and grey wash on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 99.112
Around 1880, Camille Pissarro began to produce landscapes featuring peasants at work in the fields
around Osny, a village near Pontoise, where he then lived. His figures are simple, but suggest
monumentality. They wear wooden shoes and checked bonnets or kerchiefs. Pissarro’s interest in country
folk was not motivated by their picturesque appearance but rather by his political beliefs.
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Pierre Bonnard
French, 1867–1947
The Races (Les courses), 1894
Watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.738
As part of the group of artists known as Les Nabis (or “Prophets” in Hebrew), Bonnard believed that
art should be flat and decorative. In this image, he shows mounted jockeys waiting for the race to
begin. Closest to the viewer, the formally dressed starter of the race has his back to the audience, his
red flag standing out against the solid gray of his suit. The bay horse seen in profile in the foreground
covers almost the entire width of the page, enhancing the illusion of flatness. Stylistically, Bonnard
elongated all the figures, including the horses, through cropping, outlining, and silhouetting. The
artist juxtaposed the brownish horses with the acid green of the grass, thereby creating visual interest
through high coloristic contrast.
Still Life, 1932–1933
Tempera, watercolor, and pastel
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 2006.47
Best known for his domestic subject matter, Bonnard represents in this image the very tools of his art:
a drawing album, a water jar, an atomizer, and other related objects. However, the artist seems to
resist any allegory, concentrating instead on the purely visual beauty apparent in pattern and color.
By mixing the mediums of pastel, charcoal, watercolor, and pencil, Bonnard creates a still life that
contradicts the French term nature morte and seems more lively than usual—perhaps because of its
personal meaning to the artist.
Paul Cézanne
French, 1839–1906
Sketches of Figures, c. 1870s
Pencil on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 99.102
Throughout his life, Cézanne was preoccupied not only with landscape, but also with figures in
a landscape. In this early drawing, he quickly and boldly sketched figures who appear to be hikers,
as indicated by their backpacks and walking sticks. One is vigorously climbing while another is at rest,
stooping by what seems to be a river. It is likely that Cézanne drew this sketch from his imagination
rather than life, although it is unclear whether it served as a study for an as-yet-unidentified painting or
was a purely imaginative exercise.
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Vincent van Gogh
Dutch, 1853–1890
Marsh with Water Lilies, Etten, 1881
Pen and India ink on paper with pencil underdrawing
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.777
This signed, highly finished Dutch landscape is one of Van Gogh’s earliest drawings; in it, Van Gogh
re-creates the atmosphere of the Netherlandish countryside. Utilizing the deep perspective that
characterizes Dutch seventeenth-century painting, the landscape extends to the small town in the far
background. The handling is controlled with graphic outlines and hatch strokes to indicate the shaded
areas. These features also demonstrate Van Gogh’s indebtedness to Japanese woodblock prints as
well as other non-western means of expression.
A Trunk of a Tree, 1888
Pen and sepia ink on buff paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 95.33
This bold pen drawing confronts the viewer directly by placing the subject in the most obvious place,
the exact center. The great amount of detail argues that the drawing is finished and would have
been exhibited as is. Van Gogh delights in the beauty of the pen stroke, which might derive from the
pointillist practice of his artistic contemporary Georges Seurat. The influence of Japanese woodblock
prints is evident in the cropping and decorative patterning.
Georges Seurat
French, 1859–1891
The White Horse (Le cheval blanc), c. 1882
Crayon on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.809
Here Seurat explores the separation of light and shadow using the conté crayon. The dark background
and subtle shading actually form the horse, which remains largely the color of the paper. The result is a
haunting, even ghostly, study of a living animal.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
French, 1864–1901
The Falconer (Le fauconnier), 1879
Watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.816
Falconry, or hunting with birds of prey, was traditionally an aristocratic pastime. Aristocratic by birth,
Toulouse-Lautrec was intimately familiar with such scenes. This early drawing is more conventionally
Romantic than later works. He deftly captures the physiognomy of the horse and pose of the man.
The falcon is the grace note of the composition, reminiscent of Indian miniatures. Toulouse-Lautrec’s
“orientalizing” style makes an instructive comparison with Vernet’s Mameluke, displayed elsewhere
in the exhibition.
The Fralin Museum of Art | Corot to Cézanne
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Edouard Vuillard
French, 1868–1940
Container of Flowers, c. 1900
Oil and gouache on cardboard
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.504
Vuillard takes a traditional subject, a container of flowers, and gives it life through the free application
of colors and brushwork, melding it with the highly patterned background. Lacking shadows, the pure
patterning in the work approaches abstraction.
Interior with a Man Reading, c. 1898
Oil and gouache on paper mounted on canvas
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 83.59
The complex patterns on the walls, sofa, and the man’s pajamas become this picture’s true subject.
They dominate the other elements of the scene, such as the man reading in the foreground or women
sewing around the table in the background. By focusing on color and pattern, Vuillard makes the
traditional subject of the turn-of-the-century bourgeois domain seem strange and disorienting.
Juan Gris
Spanish, 1887–1927
Still Life, 1910
Charcoal and gouache on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 95.34
A Spaniard by birth, Gris spent the majority of his career in Paris in the company of the “Salon
Cubists”—Jean Metzinger, Albert Gleizes, Henri Le Fauconnier, and the Duchamp brothers, Marcel
and Raymond. The succinct and clear forms of this charcoal sketch demonstrate Gris’s homage to
simplicity and a return to the fundamentals of art. Through a masterful use of charcoal and the clarity
of his style, Gris transforms an assemblage of humble objects into a work of high art.
Henri Matisse
French, 1869–1954
Tabac Royal, 1942
Pen and ink on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 95.38
During an illness later in his career, Matisse returned to drawing for a period of time and became
involved in illustrating and designing books. This drawing demonstrates Matisse’s delightful line and
simplicity of form. Playfully using the negative space of the page to construct his forms, he encapsulates
the uncomplicated beauty of lilies and gladiolus and the comforting tangibility of those objects that
inhabit our everyday lives.
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Pablo Picasso
Spanish, 1881–1973
Jester on Horseback, 1905
Oil on composition board
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 84.2
Picasso repeatedly revisited the figure of the harlequin or jester throughout his career. This commedia
dell’arte character personifies the shifting nature of performance and presentation. Unlike other
Picasso harlequins, the jester appears disengaged or between performances, blankly staring in a
different direction from the movement of his horse. His bright red costume enlivens his otherwise
listless posture, while his distended height astride the horse—up to the very top of the support,
which seems to cause his cap to bend—exaggerates these tragicomic effects.
The Horse, 1901
Crayon and ink on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.795
Completed during Picasso’s Blue Period of 1901–1904, The Horse exhibits intense energy and seems to
embody nature itself. The effects of a vigorous wind unite the composition, as the vibrant blue of the horse,
with mane blowing, energizes the form and animates the landscape with a windmill in the background.
Théodore Géricault
French, 1791–1824
Leaping Tiger, c. 1820–1822
Pencil and watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 2006.61
Considered to be one of the greatest Romantic artists of his time, Théodore Géricault strove to
bring emotion and drama into a variety of subjects; here, Géricault creates an enraged beast snarling
at an imaginary threat.
The Fralin Museum of Art | Corot to Cézanne
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Edgar Degas
French, 1834–1917
Group of Jockeys, 1881–1885
Pencil on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.758
An observer of modern life, Degas was fascinated with the ritual of horse racing. This sketch of horses
and riders lining up is a study for a painting entitled Before the Race (Walters Art Museum, Baltimore,
illustrated below). The painter’s focus seems to be on movement and quasi-abstract patterns.
Edgar Degas, Before the Race, c. 1882–1884
Oil on panel, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore
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Berthe Morisot
French, 1841–1895
Marthe Undressed (Marthe décolletée), 1893
Watercolor and ink on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 95.39
This intimate sketch of Marthe Givaudan was not intended for exhibition. Givauden was a worker in
Morisot’s home; the Impressionists often used actresses, dancers, domestic workers, and their own
family members as models. In fact, this is a preparatory study for Young Girl with a Flower in Her Hair
(Musée du Petit Palais, Paris, illustrated below).
Berthe Morisot, Young Girl with a Flower in Her Hair
c. 1893, oil on canvas, Musée du Petit Palais, Paris
The Fralin Museum of Art | Corot to Cézanne
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Pierre-Auguste Renoir
French, 1841–1919
The Milliner, 1879
Pencil on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 95.42
This sketch is a monumental study of a modern subject, a favorite theme of Impressionist painters.
The “milliner” shown here was a favorite model of Renoir’s, Suzanne Valadon, later an accomplished
painter in her own right and mother of painter Maurice Utrillo. It is likely that this drawing served as a
study for part of a later work, The Umbrellas (National Gallery, London, illustrated below).
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, The Umbrellas, c. 1881–1885
Oil on canvas, National Gallery, London
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Paul Cézanne
French, 1839–1906
Large Pine, Study, 1889–1890
Pencil and watercolor on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.743
Cézanne captures this majestic pine tree in two- and three-dimensions by interweaving the branches
so that they produce an intriguing design on the paper. With the barest use of watercolor, he hints at
the sky and sunshine. According to art historian Françoise Cachin, “Cézanne’s characteristically
resourceful use of untouched areas of the paper…serves to focus attention on the pine’s structure and
color, captured with a fine precision that does not preclude a reduction to essentials.” The study is one
of a number of preparatory drawings for an important painting now in the State Hermitage Museum,
St. Petersburg (illustrated below). This pine held cherished memories for Cézanne, who wrote to
Émile Zola: “Do you remember the pine tree planted on the banks of the Arc, with its hirsute head
projecting above the abyss at its foot? That pine, whose foliage protected our bodies from the intense
sun? Ah! May the gods protect it from the woodsman’s baleful axe!”
Paul Cézanne, Large Pine and Red Earth, 1890–1895
Oil on canvas, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg
The Fralin Museum of Art | Corot to Cézanne
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Paul Cézanne
French, 1839–1906
Study of a Slave, after Michelangelo, 1881–1884
Pencil on paper
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.744
Historically, painters began their academic training by drawing works of sculpture, usually from antiquity
and the Renaissance. By the time Cézanne executed this drawing, however, he was already an
accomplished painter. His pencil drawing translates the volume of Michelangelo’s Bound Slave
(Louvre, Paris, illustrated below) into his own interpretive language of distinctive lines, shadows,
and planes.
Michelangelo, Bound Slave, 1513–1515
Marble, Musée du Louvre, Paris
Edouard Vuillard
French, 1868–1940
Young Woman Trying on a Hat, c. 1900
Oil on cardboard
Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon Collection, 95.24
In this image, Vuillard depicts a woman trying on a hat, an artistic subject made popular by Edgar
Degas in his series of paintings of millinery shops. However, Vuillard’s brushwork is the opposite of
Degas’s controlled line. Vuillard combines other artistic inspirations by showing the woman by an
open window, thus alluding to the Dutch luminist tradition typical of such artists as Jan Vermeer.
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