The Bend in the Road

Paul Cézanne painted The Bend in the Road in 1903. The work's earliest recorded owner was M. F. Huot, likely François Huot, a childhood friend of the artist. By 1933 the painting was in the possession of Ambroise Vollard in Paris, who lent it to a 1936 exhibition at the Musée de l'Orangerie (listed as no. 108bis, "Rout ensoleillée").

It subsequently passed to Etienne Bignou by 1939 and the Dalzell Hatfield Galleries in Los Angeles. Aline Barnsdall acquired the piece by 1941; upon her death it was purchased in July 1952 by Richard H. Zinser through M. Knoedler & Co. The work remained with Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bareiss until at least 1965 before being sold in April 1973 to Paul Mellon, who gifted it to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 1985.

The Bend in the Road is an oil on canvas painting created by Paul Cézanne in 1903. This landscape composition presents a dirt path curving to the left, partially obscured by a prominent tree. The work exemplifies Cézanne's late period, where he explored the structural qualities of natural forms through his distinctive painterly approach.

Created towards the end of his life, "The Bend in the Road" reflects Cézanne's sustained artistic investigations. During this period, he was deeply committed to conveying the underlying structure of the world through painting, moving beyond fleeting impressions. His methodical process sought to imbue each element with a sense of enduring presence, making the landscape feel substantial and architecturally sound.