The Flowered Vase Small Boxed Cards

Paul Cézanne (French, 1839–1906)
The Flowered Vase, 1896–1898

Cézanne's analytical approach to painting—an attempt to represent the structure, or geometry, underlying nature and all his subjects—challenged the spontaneity of Impressionism. In this still life, however, the textile backdrop and abundant floral arrangement seem to have been expertly dashed off, in a fit of joy.