This painting probably depicts a scene outside the grounds of the château de Marcouville, very close to Pontoise. Cézanne's interest in this landscape may be linked to the fact that his friend Camille Pissarro had already painted there five years earlier. However the comparison stops there. The patient search for gentle solutions typical of Pissarro seems far removed from this painting imbued with powerful energy.
Cézanne was interested in the clump of tall trees on the banks of the Viosne. The difficulty was in making this landscape of greenery "readable". To this end, he contrasted the rectilinear aspect of the poplars with the confused mass of the other trees. Between the slanting brushstrokes, characteristic of this period, the white background filters through almost everywhere, bringing luminosity and animation to the surface of the painting.
Clearly Cézanne was seeking to overcome the technical difficulty of representing a view where the only motif was foliage. The difference between this wooded landscape and those of the Barbizon school is significant. Cézanne, like Pissarro, represented trees that had been planted by man rather than those that grew "naturally". He therefore introduced into his paintings signs of human activity organising the landscape, rather than Nature's anarchic growth.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj9sHjK7IVk
This is a sketch I worked on Friday jun 14. I would love to post these daily vids but I can’t seem to get them out in a consistent time. So I have to work in them ahead of time so when I post it post at similar times.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoTmjjqzgJQ
This beautiful Ark originated in a synagogue in northern Italy, most probably in Piedmont. It was discovered in 1932 in Chillingham Castle, Northumbria in use as a steward's wardrobe. It may have been purchased in Italy by an English nobleman making the Grand Tour. It was one of the first objects presented to the museum.The Ark is made of Italian walnut with gilded and marbled paintwork. It is decorated with carved Jewish symbols, including the seven-branched Temple menorah and a handwashing basin on the doors, and Aaron's rod and the pot of manna on the sides. The Hebrew inscription over the top reads "Know before whom you stand".When not in use in a synagogue service, Torah scrolls are stored in the Ark and covered with fine decorations. Communities usually own several scrolls and it is a joyous occasion when a new one is dedicated.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et62WRVnr-E