Artwork
The Tree by the Bend
The Tree by the Bend is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Paul Cézanne. It dates from 1891 and is held in the collection of the Israel Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1891, The Tree by the Bend is an oil painting by Paul Cézanne that depicts a solitary tree positioned beside a winding road. The composition balances a foreground dominated by the dark‑green foliage with a gently curving path that leads the eye into a muted landscape of fields, distant trees and a pale sky.
Subject & Meaning
The work presents a quiet rural scene, emphasizing the relationship between natural form and human‑made routes. The solitary tree, anchored on the left, serves as a focal point that anchors the road’s curve, suggesting a moment of stillness amid movement and inviting contemplation of how the environment shapes travel and perception.
Technique & Style
Cézanne employs a textured, loosely applied brushwork that leaves the paint surface visibly broken, a hallmark of his late‑period approach. The palette is restrained, with muted greens, browns and soft blues, while the brushstrokes convey the atmospheric feeling of the landscape rather than precise detail, reflecting his move toward structural simplification.
History & Provenance
The painting belongs to the collection of the Israel Museum, where it has been displayed as part of the institution’s holdings of Post‑Impressionist art. Acquired after changing hands through private collections, the work illustrates Cézanne’s transitional role between Impressionism and the emerging Cubist language of the early twentieth century.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Paul Cézanne ( say-ZAN, UK also siz-AN, US also say-ZAHN; French: ; Occitan: Pau Cesana; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation,…
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