Paper

Student Artwork Guide

A Painter at Work

Paul Cézanne, 1875

Name Class Date
Paul Cézanne, A Painter at Work (1875). Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Paul Cézanne allpaintingsstore.com/en/artists/paul-cezanne/
Artist’s dates
1839 – 1906
Painted
1875
Medium
Oil On Canvas
Original size
24 x 34 cm
Movement
Post-Impressionism Artists who kept the bright colour of Impressionism but pushed shape and feeling further than the eye really sees.
Period
19th Century
Influences
Impressionism, Cubism
Notable elements
Easel, hat, suitcase, tree
Style
Exploratory brushstrokes, planes of color, emphasis on underlying structure
Subject
Man painting outdoors

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Paul Cézanne died in 1906; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1976.

Source: AllPaintingsStore.com — accessed Oct. 7, 2026

A Painter at Work — Paul Cézanne Part 1 · The artwork

In context

A Painter at Work — Paul Cézanne

How big is it?

The original measures 24 × 34 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When was this painted?

  1. 1830
  2. 1840
  3. 1850
  4. 1860
  5. 1870
  6. 1880
  7. 1890
  8. 1900

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 67 at death.

Painted when the artist was 36. The artist lived to 67. 151 of the 679 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) ▲ this work, 1875 every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1875 Main working years: 1875–1894 Late works: from 1894

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/similar/paul-cezanne-a-painter-at-work-8XYPVB-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Espresso #313b38

    Catalogued palette

    • #313B38
    • #C0B454
    • #B9CBAD
    • #6B8367

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Nature The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Espresso
    Intensity
    Vivid How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Balanced Harmony How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Bright How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Clear Color Presence How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Paul Cézanne over the last twelve months — 72 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 50.5%185,700 visits
    2. 2 United States of America 9.8%36,200 visits
    3. 3 Hong Kong 8.6%31,600 visits
    4. 4 Singapore 7.9%28,900 visits
    5. 5 France 5.3%19,600 visits
    6. 6 Italy 2.7%9,800 visits
    7. 7 Spain 2.6%9,400 visits
    8. 8 Germany 1.4%5,200 visits
    9. 9 Romania 1.3%4,900 visits
    10. 10 Brazil 1.3%4,800 visits
    11. · 62 other countries 8.6%31,900 visits

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Paul Cézanne

    1. 1 The Card Players, 1893 2.7%12,700 visits
    2. 2 Large Bathers (Philadelphia), 1905 2.0%9,400 visits
    3. 3 The Card Players, 1892 1.7%8,200 visits
    4. 4 Basket of Apples, 1895 1.6%7,500 visits
    5. 5 Mont Sainte-Victoire (Courtauld), 1887 1.5%6,800 visits
    6. 6 The bay from l'estaque, 1886 1.3%6,000 visits
    7. 7 Cardplayers, 1893 1.2%5,500 visits
    8. 8 Curtain, Jug and Fruit, 1894 0.8%3,900 visits
    9. 9 The Lac d'Annecy, 1896 0.8%3,800 visits
    10. 10 Landscape with Viaduct - Mont Sainte-Victoire, 1885 0.7%3,300 visits
    11. 11 Mont Sainte-Victoire (Barnes), 1892 0.7%3,200 visits
    12. 12 The Kitchen Table, 1888 0.7%3,200 visits
    13. 13 Chateau Noir, 1904 0.6%3,000 visits
    14. 14 View of L'Estaque and Chateaux d'If, 1885 0.6%3,000 visits
    15. 15 Still life with apples,c.1890, eremitaget 0.6%2,900 visits
    16. 16 Mountains in Provence, 1890 0.6%2,800 visits
    17. 17 The House of Pere Lacroix in Auvers, 1873 0.6%2,700 visits
    18. 18 The Eternal Woman, 1877 0.5%2,500 visits
    19. 19 Mont Sainte-Victoire Seen from the Bibemus Quarry, 1897 0.5%2,300 visits
    20. 57 A Painter at Work, 1875 this painting 0.3%1,300 visits

    Together these works take 20.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 998 works by this artist, of which 769 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 57 of them, with 0.3% of that attention (1,300 visits). The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: AllPaintingsStore.com — accessed Oct. 7, 2026

    A Painter at Work — Paul Cézanne Part 2 · In context

    About this artwork

    A Painter at Work — Paul Cézanne

    A Glimpse into the Artist’s World: Paul Cézanne's ‘A Painter at Work’

    This captivating painting by Paul Cézanne, created in 1875, offers an intimate and remarkably modern portrayal of artistic creation. More than just a depiction of a man painting, it is a meditation on the act of seeing, the solitude of the artist, and the burgeoning shift in art towards subjective experience.

    Subject & Composition

    The scene presents a solitary figure – presumably an artist – seated directly en plein air, sketching in a notebook. He’s casually dressed with a hat shielding him from the sun, a suitcase resting nearby suggesting a transient lifestyle or a dedicated pursuit of inspiring locations. The composition is deliberately simple yet effective; the artist dominates the foreground, while a softly rendered tree and landscape recede into the background. This arrangement draws our focus immediately to the central figure and his activity. The painting’s modest size (24 x 34 cm) adds to its sense of intimacy, as if we are quietly observing a private moment.

    Style & Technique: The Dawn of Post-Impressionism

    ‘A Painter at Work’ is a pivotal example of Cézanne's evolving style – a crucial stepping stone between Impressionism and his later, more radical explorations. While retaining the Impressionist interest in capturing light and atmosphere, Cézanne begins to move away from purely optical representation. His brushstrokes are visible and exploratory, not blended seamlessly as in traditional painting. He employs short, deliberate strokes that build form through color rather than relying on precise outlines. This technique creates a textured surface and imbues the scene with a sense of immediacy and energy. The flattening of perspective is also notable, foreshadowing his later deconstruction of pictorial space.

    Historical Context & Artistic Revolution

    Painted during the Post-Impressionist period, this work reflects a reaction against the fleeting impressions favored by earlier Impressionists. Cézanne sought to create paintings that were not merely representations of what he saw, but expressions of his perception and understanding of form. He was driven by a desire to impose order and structure onto the natural world, laying the groundwork for Cubism and other avant-garde movements of the 20th century. He challenged academic conventions and paved the way for artists to explore subjective realities.

    Symbolism & Emotional Resonance

    The painting is rich in subtle symbolism. The notebook represents thought, observation, and the artist’s attempt to translate his experience onto paper. The suitcase hints at a life dedicated to artistic pursuit, perhaps even sacrifice. More broadly, the scene evokes feelings of tranquility, contemplation, and the quiet joy found in creative work. It's a celebration of the solitary act of making art and the profound connection between artist and nature.

    Cézanne’s Legacy & Enduring Influence

    Paul Cézanne is often referred to as “the father of modern art.” His influence on subsequent generations of artists – including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and countless others – is immeasurable. He fundamentally altered the course of painting, shifting its focus from objective representation to subjective expression and formal experimentation. ‘A Painter at Work’ stands as a testament to his innovative spirit and enduring legacy, offering viewers a glimpse into the mind of a master and inspiring continued exploration of artistic possibilities. This piece is not just a historical artifact; it's a vibrant source of inspiration for contemporary artists and design enthusiasts alike.

    Source: AllPaintingsStore.com — accessed Oct. 7, 2026

    A Painter at Work — Paul Cézanne Part 3 · About this artwork

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Paul Cézanne

    Born in Aix-en-Provence, France

    The Architect of Form

    Paul Cézanne was born in Aix-en-Provence, France, into a family with deep roots in the local banking industry. His father, Louis-Auguste Cézanne, helped found the Banque Cézanne et Cabassol, providing a level of financial stability that many of his contemporaries lacked. This security allowed Paul to move away from the legal studies his father had planned for him. Though he initially studied law at the University of Aix-en-Provence, he abandoned those studies in 1860 to focus entirely on painting. His early years were spent in the company of friends like Émile Zola, and together they shared a childhood of swimming and fishing along the banks of the Arc River.

    The early works of Cézanne often carried the weight of Romanticism, utilizing dark palettes and heavy, expressive brushwork. He was influenced by the dramatic tonal contrasts found in the tradition of Eugène Delacroix. However, his approach began to shift as he moved toward Paris. He sought a way to move beyond the fleeting light captured by the Impressionists. Instead of merely recording a passing moment, he wanted to find the permanent structure within nature. He looked at a mountain or a piece of fruit and saw the underlying geometry—the cones, spheres, and cylinders that form the bones of the world.

    A New Way of Seeing

    Cézanne developed a technique characterized by small, repetitive, and constructive brushstrokes. He layered these patches of color to build up volume and texture, creating a sense of solidity. This method allowed him to explore spatial relationships without relying on traditional single-point perspective. In many of his compositions, objects appear independent within the space, often presented from multiple viewpoints at once. This rejection of classical perspective rules helped create a new pictorial language.

    His subject matter was deeply tied to his surroundings in Provence. The Mont Sainte-Victoire became a recurring presence in his work, appearing in approximately eighty different paintings and watercolors over many years. He also found profound meaning in the simplest objects. His still lifes, featuring items like apples, jars, and cups, were not mere decorations but intense studies of light, shadow, and mass. Through these works, he demonstrated how color modulation could define shape without the need for traditional shading.

    The Bathers (Les Grandes Baigneuses)

    Mont Sainte-Victoire series

    Still Life with Apples and a Pot of Primroses

    Portrait of Émile Zola

    The Card Players

    A Lasting Influence

    By the time of his death in 1906, Cézanne had fundamentally altered the direction of modern painting. His emphasis on geometric form and multiple perspectives provided a foundation for the Cubist movement. Artists such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque drew heavily from his analytical approach to nature. His use of bold, non-naturalistic color also left an impression on the Fauvists, including Henri Matisse. He moved art away from the imitation of reality toward a construction of visual experience based on perception and structure.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for A Painter at Work

    allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/download/paul-cezanne-a-painter-at-work-8XYPVB-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Cézanne, Paul. A Painter at Work. 1875, https://allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/paul-cezanne-a-painter-at-work-8XYPVB-en/
    APA
    Cézanne, Paul (1875). A Painter at Work [Painting]. https://allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/paul-cezanne-a-painter-at-work-8XYPVB-en/
    Chicago
    Paul Cézanne. A Painter at Work. 1875. https://allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/paul-cezanne-a-painter-at-work-8XYPVB-en/
    Harvard
    Cézanne, Paul (1875) A Painter at Work. Available at: https://allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/paul-cezanne-a-painter-at-work-8XYPVB-en/

    Source: AllPaintingsStore.com — accessed Oct. 7, 2026

    A Painter at Work — Paul Cézanne Part 4 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    A Painter at Work — Paul Cézanne

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. How many faces can you find? ____ (our catalogue counts 1 — do you agree?)
    4. Our catalogue files this work under: artist studio, outdoor scene, travel sketch. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    5. Look back at The Card Players (1893), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: AllPaintingsStore.com — accessed Oct. 7, 2026

    A Painter at Work — Paul Cézanne Part 5 · Look closely

    Art quiz

    A Painter at Work — Paul Cézanne

    How well do you know this artwork?

    Tick one answer for each of the 5 questions below. Each has exactly one correct answer.

    1. 1. In what year was Paul Cézanne's 'A Painter at Work' created?

      • A 1865
      • B 1875
      • C 1885

    2. 2. Which art movement is Paul Cézanne most closely associated with, as exemplified in 'A Painter at Work'?

      • A Impressionism
      • B Renaissance
      • C Post-Impressionism

    3. 3. What is a notable characteristic of Cézanne’s painting style, as seen in this work?

      • A Smooth, blended brushstrokes
      • B Precise realism and detail
      • C Exploratory brushstrokes and emphasis on structure

    4. 4. What object present in the painting suggests the artist may be traveling or temporarily working outdoors?

      • A The easel
      • B The hat
      • C The suitcase

    5. 5. How would you describe the overall atmosphere conveyed by 'A Painter at Work'?

      • A Dramatic and chaotic
      • B Serene and peaceful
      • C Urban and bustling

    My score: ____ out of 5

    Answer key — for the teacher

    This starts a fresh printed page, so it can simply be left out of the copies.

    1B · 2C · 3C · 4C · 5B

    Check any answer against the catalogue record for this painting

    Source: AllPaintingsStore.com — accessed Oct. 7, 2026

    A Painter at Work — Paul Cézanne Part 6 · Art quiz

    Questions & Answers

    What are the medium and date of "A Painter at Work" by Paul Cézanne?

    The medium of "A Painter at Work" by Paul Cézanne is oil on canvas, and the work is dated 1875.

    Where should a reproduction of "A Painter at Work" by Paul Cézanne be hung?

    Format (landscape) and recommended space (living room) are the two placement facts recorded for "A Painter at Work" by Paul Cézanne.

    What is the overall mood of "A Painter at Work" by Paul Cézanne?

    The overall mood of "A Painter at Work" by Paul Cézanne is serene. The mood describes the general atmosphere of the work.