The Peppermint Bottle

Paul Cézanne painted The Peppermint Bottle in 1893. The work first passed through the Paris dealer Ambroise Vollard, then entered the collection of Maurice Gangnat in Paris. Gangnat sold the painting in 1913 to the dealer Paul Rosenberg and Co., which subsequently sold it to Emile Staub of Männedorf, Switzerland, by 1923.

Rosenberg and Co. reacquired the canvas and on 19 November 1927 sold it to the American collector Chester Dale in New York. Dale's papers indicate the transaction, though a photograph of the painting in the Etienne Bignou albums at the Musée d'Orsay suggests Bignou may also have acted in the sale. Dale retained the work until his death, after which it was given to the National Gallery of Art in 1963.

Paul Cézanne's 1894 oil on canvas, "The Peppermint Bottle," presents a characteristic still life arrangement. The painting features everyday objects on a draped table, rendered with the artist's distinctive approach to form and color. It exemplifies his exploration of visual perception through a structured composition and visible brushwork, marking a significant development in the genre of still life painting during the late 19th century.

"The Peppermint Bottle" reflects Cézanne's ongoing investigation into the representation of three-dimensional forms on a two-dimensional plane. His analytical approach to still life, characterized by a departure from conventional perspective and an emphasis on the structural integrity of objects, profoundly influenced subsequent generations of artists. This work stands as an example of his pivotal role in transitioning from Impressionism towards modern art movements.