OIL PAINTING: The House of Pere Lacroix in Auvers, 1873
The bright hues and quickly worked brushstrokes in The House of Pere Lacroix in Auvers
reveal the effect of Pissarro's influence. Greens and yellows contrast in the foreground, and multihued vertical drags of the brush recreate watery reflections. Cool shadows contrast with the orange of a tiled roof. Light emphasizes the blond planes of the building, which is shaded with blues, greens, and mauves, and where broad strokes and heavier paint convey texture.
The elaborate signature and date are unusual in Cezanne's painting. Perhaps Cezanne intended the painting for public exhibition-at the urging of Pissarro, three of his paintings were included in the first impressionist show-or for a patron. In 1873 Cezanne moved to the village of Auvers, where this was painted. It was near Pissarro's home, and the two of them often worked side by side during 1873 and 1874. Auvers was also home to Dr. Gachet, a collector who would later care for the despairing
Van Gogh. Cezanne may have hoped Gachet would purchase his The House of Pere Lacroix in Auvers, which was ignored by the public. Cezanne returned to Provence and, after inheriting his father's large estate in 1886, largely abandoned efforts to promote his paintings. Cezanne did not realize commercial success until he was in his fifties.
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