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The house of the hanged man

Paul Cezanne • Painting, 1873, 55×66 cm
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About the artwork
Art form: Painting
Subject and objects: Landscape
Style of art: Impressionism
Technique: Oil
Materials: Canvas
Date of creation: 1873
Size: 55×66 cm
Artwork in selections: 32 selections

Description of the artwork «The house of the hanged man»

Painting By Paul Cezanne "The house of the hanged man" got the mystic train just as soon as appeared at the first impressionist exhibition in the Studio of the photographer Nadar in 1874. Nothing, absolutely nothing foretold that she would become one of several paintings sold here, on this controversial exhibition.

Terribly funny and famous critic Louis Leroy (the Impressionists invented the nickname in mockery), is already written his condescending nerve-a review. In this poisonous journalistic reporting "the House of the hanged man" is coming to the exhibition of artist Vincent last straw on the path to madness. But, oddly enough, Leroy in relation to the Cezanne is very stingy on the details. No virtuoso comparisons with the Wallpaper sketches and painters, renovate the fountain, no more comments about pattern and color. It happened then always with Cezanne who really could explain what it hates or adores.

Once the exhibition came a middle-aged man with an adult son. Seeing "House of the hanged man", he stops, frowns. Explaining to his son his unpleasant impression from the paintings, the man is trying to find the exact arguments. The longer he talks, the slower and sound less heard his words, the there is more interest in look. "No, we nothing understand! - suddenly exclaimed the stranger. - Some important features incorporated in the paintings of this artist. It should be presented in my gallery" (quote from the book Henri Perruso "Life of Cezanne"). This collector count Armand Doria. He immediately puts 300 francs for his hit picture. Of course, he can't even really explain what begins to love cézanne.

Pass 25 years, but nothing will change. Another count Isaac Camondo buying the painting for 6200 francs, still don't understand what to do. "Oh yeah, I bought the painting that have never recognized! But I risk nothing: I have a letter signed Claude Monet that gave me your word of honor that this canvas is destined to become famous. Come and see me and I'll show you this letter. I keep it in a small pocket, pinned on the reverse side of the canvas, especially for those who think I'm damaged mind with his "House of the hanged man".

That felt, but could not explain to his son the Comte Doria, he knew Monet, but did not explain the count of Paris, since then, tried to explain differently. The Surrealists, who regarded cézanne as one of its precursors, you can see in the picture is first and foremost a well-crafted sinister space and a set of symbols and metaphors: the house, as if suspended in the air, eroding horizontal crack on the wall. "The artist, like every person, has a tendency to return to the scene of the crime"- writes Andre Breton. And recalls Cezanne other paintings, recreating the tense atmosphere of threat and death: "Abandoned house", "The house with cracked wall", "A young man with a skull" and finally, "The card players".

Matisse generally calls cézanne an artist's "House of the hanged man" and "card Players" and puts these works on one level: Junior's debut picture Mature and powerful long-term cycle. "Matisse was attracted by the structure of these works – or architecture, if I may say so: the fact that they are both well-built, can be seen immediately. Both of these songs, V-shape, formed in one case by the walls of buildings, and the other with the feet of the players in the cards"- says Alex Danchev, cézanne biographer.

But the General alignment, the geometrical accuracy of the "House of the hanged man" is composed of many deliberate inaccuracies of perspective: near and distant plans, there are so, whatever the overall scenic objective of the work. The branches of a distant tree appear in front of the house, standing much closer, it is not clear (at every new look different), whether the cost of the house in the distance next to or one after the other. Yes, and the house of the hanged man nothing to do with the direct term has not.

It is this harmony of irregularities made probably count Doria buy painting for many years and consider her in my gallery.

Author: Anna Sidelnikova
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