Who is Paul Cezanne? And, where are his footsteps?

Both Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso are said to have remarked that Cézanne “is the father of us all”. Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_C%C3%A9zanne)

More specifically he is an artist born in the town of Aix en Provence, France, where the three of us (Andy, Linda and myself; AC) spent three weeks in an immersion program under Smithsonian tours.

The “In the Steps of Cezanne” is a walking tour put together by the Aix en Provence Office of Tourism – it takes a walker to many of the key locations in the Artist’s life.

We walk east from the fountain, on the (central avenue) Cours Mirabeau and across Rue Laroque to reach Mignet High School

Walking east down the street Rue Cardinale, we circle the Fountain of the Four Dolphins:

In a few more blocks we reach Cezanne’s art School, now The Granet Museum

Not far from the church, following the medallions, I found a statue of Cezanne’s friend, Emile Zola. He was a very influential man. Please read more about him: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_Zola

Turning around, and going back down the central avenue, Cours Mirabeau, we see the CIC bank

What is hard to see, is that the building was the location of Paul Cezanne’s father’s, Louis-Auguste Cezanne, shop where he began practicing his new trade of hat making in 1825. Paul’s mother, Anne-Elisabeth Aubert, was also a hatmaker.

The City of a Thousand Fountains (Aix en Provence) was founded by Romans in 122 BCE. Romans loved water and Aix had water. As a Roman town it included a thermal spa which is still visible today. (It is part of a Spa and Hotel complex now) Cezanne would not have visited the old Roman baths, but he would have walked past this complex. https://www.josetteking.com/blog/from-roman-spa-to-contemporary-cultural-center-aix-en-provence/

The Thermal Spa backs up to a remaining section of the original city walls and the only tower that remains.

Away from the center of town is Cezanne’s Atelier des Lauves (workshop).

Cezanne also painted landscapes. He was particularly drawn to his local landscape which was dominated by Mont Sainte-Victoire. The mountain is captured in picture after picture. Below is the view as it is today from his favorite outdoor painting spot on the Lauves Hill.

Here is the mountain in his 1902 – 1904 version of Mont Sainte-Victoire.

I have to admit I had a little trouble following the maps and medallions. Why would Cezanne go to the GAP?

We do know he went to the Palace of Justice. He studied law at the insistence of his father, but gave it up to pursue his interest in art.

Do you see what I see?

Whew! We have followed a lot of steps, and taken a lot of pictures, trying to explore Cezanne’s Provence. There is so much to see. So many fountains.

We need a coffee. For this occasion (being in Provence) a Cafe Gourmand is appropriate. A relatively new coupling, we get espresso and several tiny desserts all at one time. Yum!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9_gourmand

I will return with more pictures and information about Provence – but first it is time to enjoy this coffee.

Au revior!