Cézanne exhibition, Tate Modern

It might be said that without the work of Paul Cézanne, the likes of Picasso and Matisse would not have produced the ground-breaking work they did, for, as the latter reportedly said, 'Cézanne is the father of us all.’ Picasso, in turn, referred to him as ‘the mother who protects her children.’ From October next year, Cézanne’s profound importance as the man who inspired a generation of modern masters will be explored in an exhibition at Tate Modern.

This exhibition will focus on the ‘many tensions and contradictions’ in Cézanne’s work, from his interest in neo-classicism, to his near obsessional quest to introduce geometry into representations of the natural world. His innovation was to flatten the image plane and reduce his compositions to a series of shapes. Apples in fruit bowls balance magically on tables that appear to tip impossibly forward. In landscapes, the distant mountains become as prominent as the nearby trees. Portraits become claustrophobic as sitter and surroundings almost become one in the same.

Despite his eventual success, Cézanne’s life was a troubled one and this exhibition will also explore the struggles he faced as he sought recognition for his new visual language at a time when impressionism was king. He also wrestled with very personal demons and became increasingly disenchanted with modern life, despite being the most modern of painters. This exhibition promises to offer fascinating insights into his turbulent life and the paintings that kick-started an artistic revolution.