Artwork
Trees and Houses Near the Jas de Bouffan
Trees and Houses Near the Jas de Bouffan is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Paul Cézanne. It dates from 1893 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a modest Provençal house set amid a grove of trees, a rural scene that Cézanne rendered with geometric simplification.
The painting shows a modest Provençal house set amid a grove of trees, a rural scene that Cézanne rendered with geometric simplification. The house, identified in the work’s title as part of the Jas de Bouffan estate near Aix‑en‑Provence, functions as a symbol of domestic stability, while the surrounding trees convey the region’s natural vitality. By arranging the architecture and foliage in interlocking planes, Cézanne emphasizes the underlying structure of the landscape, suggesting a harmonious relationship between human habitation and the natural world. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the work, acquired from the collector Robert Lehman.
Technique & Style
This landscape painting employs oil on canvas, measuring 67.9 × 92.1 cm, executed in 1885. Cézanne’s handling emphasizes structured brushwork, with layered, directional strokes that build form while maintaining a sense of tactility in foliage and architecture. The composition integrates geometric simplification, flattened planes and compressed perspective, juxtaposing the verticality of slender trees against the staggered, planar facades of the houses.
Stylistically, the work bridges Impressionist light effects with a proto-Cubist approach, using modulated hues to render volume and atmosphere without sacrificing solidity. The canvas shows signs of age typical for its period, with craquelure and minor pigment settling, yet the integrity of the paint layer remains intact.
History & Provenance
Paul Cézanne created the oil-on-canvas painting Trees and Houses Near the Jas de Bouffan in 1885. The work, measuring 67.9 by 92.1 centimeters, depicts a landscape featuring houses and trees. Its ownership history includes private collectors Robert Lehman and Sam Salz before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The painting is categorized within the landscape genre and is executed in oil paint. No specific commission details are recorded in the available documentation regarding its initial creation, though the date of inception is firmly established as 1885.
Trees and Houses Near the Jas de Bouffan is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The oil on canvas work, created in 1885, measures 67.9 by 92.1 centimeters. Prior to its acquisition by the museum, the painting was owned by Sam Salz and Robert Lehman.
While the work is part of the museum's permanent holdings, the provided records do not list specific inventory accession numbers or detail a chronological history of public exhibitions.
Legacy
The 1885 oil on canvas Trees and Houses Near the Jas de Bouffan is classified as a mature Cézanne landscape and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, having previously belonged to Robert Lehman and Sam Salz. Its inclusion in a major museum has contributed to ongoing scholarly emphasis on the painting as a key example of Cézanne’s synthesis of natural observation and structural abstraction, reinforcing his lasting reputation as a bridge between Impressionism and modernist movements.
Overview
Paul Cézanne completed Trees and Houses Near the Jas de Bouffan in 1893, an oil landscape reflecting his mature style. This work exemplifies the French Post-Impressionist's systematic exploration of natural forms, a practice that significantly influenced the trajectory of modern art. It showcases his departure from earlier artistic conventions, laying groundwork for the shift from Impressionism towards Cubism. The painting is part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
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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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