When people think about Matisse's Bonheur de Vivre (Joy of Life) or Picasso's Les Desmoiselles d'Avignon you can see how influential Paul Cézanne was in their work. The similarities between Cézanne's Large Bathers and those paintings is undeniable. However, both Picasso and Matisse had a unique style all their own showing that they were both inspired by Cézanne and also breaking free.
Cézanne, Matisse, and Picasso
When Cézanne first appeared on the art scene at the end of the 19th century, the art world was ready for a change. Modern art was bringing new techniques and subject matter to art patrons and Cézanne was a connecting point between the Impressionists and the Cubists. Cézanne sought to show the world as it was and this meant that unlike the great masters before him, many of the rules of art would have to be bent. Unlike more realistic painting in the past, much of Cézanne's work was less detailed and appeared unfinished. …show more content…
Unlike classic art, the figures are not very detailed and the style was similar to that of the Impressionists. There are parts of the canvas that peek through and appear undone (Khan Academy, n.d.). Compared to past masters, the proportions of the bodies are at awkward and unflattering angles (Khan Academy, n.d.). Similar to Cézanne's other works, in the Large Bathers, the image appears flattened instead of viewed from one angle. This is one of the hallmarks of Cézanne as he attempted to deconstruct space and the human form into something more abstract (Khan Academy,