All About Chateau Noir by Paul Cezanne

Title of Artwork: “Chateau Noir”

Artwork by Paul Cezanne

Year Created 1904

Summary of Chateau Noir

An old country house known as Château Noir sat on a hillside near the Bibémus quarry (whose name—the “black manor”—may refer to an earlier exterior colour). After moving to the area in 1900, Cézanne began painting in the dense woods surrounding the estate, finding numerous subjects, such as Trees and Rocks in the Park of the Château Noir, circa 1904.

All About Chateau Noir

Foreboding images were inspired by the house’s decrepit isolation. As with the Bibémus rocks, the eerie structure seen in Château Noir, circa 1900–1904, is partially obscured by pines. The scene is made all the more powerful by Cézanne’s saturated palette of dark greens, blues, and others.

As Cézanne’s final decade approached, his work became increasingly melancholy, as evidenced by the haunting images of the Bibémus quarry and the Château Noir, two of his most emotionally powerful works. When the artist was diagnosed with diabetes, he became increasingly concerned about his own mortality.

Information Citations

En.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/.