"Image Size: 44''x 66''
Though already established in his art career, Paul Gezanne answered the call to pay Vincent van Gogh a visit. It wasn't inconvenient - Arles is pretty close to Aix-en-Provence. You just take a train, pass Lunel, Nime, and Tarascon; then you will arrive at Arles. Once you reach the station, just make a turn, and the Yellow House is right there on Lamartine Square.
Cezanne visited with his wife, the woman depicted in his ""Wife at Coffee Pot"" (1893-94). Cezanne himself appeared as he did in his self-portrait, ""Au Chapeau Melon"" (1883-87). He brought with him three canvases which he hung upon the walls to recreate a feel of his own studio to help inspire him to paint: ""Young Man with Red Jacket"" (1890-95), ""Portrait of Mme. Cezanne in Red"" (c. 1890), and ""Portrait of Victor Chocquet"" (1876-77). During his sojourn, Cezanne painted a vase, a jar and some apples as a ""Still Life"" (c. 1877) which he placed upon a table near the window. Looking out we see a view of the famous ""Mte. Sainte-Vicotire, Environs de Gardanne"" (1885-86). Van Gogh was absent at the time, but he left tow canvases in the room as his symbolic presence. Vincent's ""Still Life with Coffee Pot"" (1888) hangs upon the wall next to the window; and his ""Still Life with Pots, Jars, and Bottles"" (1884) hangs alongside the wall among Cezanne's works.
Such a scenario is realizable only conceptually of course, and sparks the imagination with amused delight. Van Gogh's room remains the same with his big, brown bed, white pillows and scarlet blanket. The floor, walls window, door table, mirror, and napkin rest there intact. Yet the bedroom has now become Cezanne's empire, and his figures, taste, style, color and touch dominate. Van Gogh's room has become a pretext, as Cezanne manifests his art in this painting, or, as Chen presents Cezanne through this visit, or rather, as Cezanne -- Van Gogh -- Chen are entangled in this presentation!
This is but one of the many amazing simulacrums of the post-modern phenomenon that exist in Dr. Chen's ""New-Iconography."" ( by Julie Chen )
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