In the 1870s, Cézanne began to live in the countryside, where his approach to painting changed. Instead of using romantic or religious subjects, he decided that he must paint from nature instead. Instead of using darker pigments, he began to use brighter colours. As he became more and more interested in landscapes, colour, and his new technique of not hiding his short brush strokes, Cézanne withdrew himself from his peers, got married, and began to live again in his hometown of Aix in isolation. This was the setting where his most famous paintings were created. He painted many landscapes and still lives, subjects that were traditionally associated with artists who were lazy or amateurs. One of Cézanne’s most popular works, called “Still Life with Basket of Apples”, is an epitome of his then unorthodox techniques. Accuracy of space and orientation of objects weren’t the concern of Cézanne, as he was more interested in vibrancy of the apples and his perception of the objects. You can also easily see his brushstrokes, something most artists laboured hard to avoid. In 1895, an art dealer named Ambroise Vollard took interest in Cézanne’s work and began to exhibit shows of his paintings. That was when Cézanne’s work began to catch the art world’s attention. Suddenly, the annual Salons began to accept his work, and after the time of his death in 1906, his paintings were honoured with a large exhibition.
