The Hidden Cézanne From Sketchbook to Canvas

This book examines the genesis Cézanne’s great works took through his drawings and sketches. Like many artists, Paul Cézanne started his great paintings by sketching his ideas on paper. This book recreates some of Cézanne’s sketchbooks as it delves into the Kunstmuseum Basel’s collection of drawings by Cézanne—the most comprehensive and significant collection of the artist’s drawings in the world. Rarely presented in exhibitions, these works introduce readers to the nucleus of Cézanne’s creative thinking, allowing us to observe his everyday practice as a draftsman. Scenes of violence appear side by side with portrait sketches; copies after Eugène Delacroix or ancient sculptures alternate with landscapes and bathers. Repeated studies varying only slightly in perspective and angle help us understand how Cézanne strove to find the right approach to his subject. Featuring his drawings as well as his great paintings and accompanied by a series of essays that explore how Cézanne used his sketchbooks as preparation for landscapes, portraits, and still-lifes, this book offers fascinating insights into the creative process of a master.

Anita Haldemann is Interim Head of the Department of Prints and Drawings.