Updated 17 April 2025
Currently not on display
Currently not on display
The Bare Trees at Jas de Bouffan
| Date | 1885-86 |
|---|---|
| Materials and Techniques | oil on canvas |
| Size（cm） | 60.3 x 73 |
| Credit Line | Purchased |
| Standard ref. | Venturi 414; Rewald 552 |
| Category | Paintings |
| Collection Number | P.1978-0005 |
Cézanne's father purchased a large mansion called Jas de Bouffan on the outskirts of Aix-en-Provence in 1859. The beautiful buildings and farms had formerly been the residence of the governors of Provence. Cézanne stayed mainly in Aix from the beginning of the 1880s, and the buildings of Jas de Bouffan, its rows of chestnut trees, reservoirs, farm and the walls surrounding the estate are often seen in Cézanne's paintings after 1882. This work was painted near the back gate of the estate. Several roughly depicted chestnut trees with their arabesque-shaped branches are seen in the left of the composition, and the occasional glimpse of blank space attests to the work's overall soft, sketch-like form. Conversely, the undulations that continue from the back entrance and wall to the distant range of mountains are precisely expressed in long narrow strips of blue, blue green and ochre that maintain Cézanne's firm sense of spatial order. (Source: Masterpieces of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 2009, cat. no. 89)
Provenance
Ambroise Vollard, Paris; E. R. Bühler, Winterthur (August 1918); Galerie Thannhauser, Lucern (1 October 1928); Salmon Schocken, New York; Private Collection, New York; E. V. Thau, by which sold to the NMWA, 1978.
Exhibition History
- 1909
- [Group Exhibition], Paul Cassirer, Berlin, 17 November 1909 - 12 December 1909, cat. no. 23
- 1912
- , Modern Galerie [Heinrich Thanhauser], Munich, 0 December 1912 - 0 December 1912, n.n.?
- 1952
- Cézanne: Rarely Shown Works, Fine art Associates [Otto Gerson], New York, 10 November 1952 - 29 November 1952, cat. no. 5, ill.
- 1984
- Paul Cézanne, Museo Español de Arte Contemporáneo, Madrid, 0 March 1984 - 0 April 1984, cat. no. 25, col. repr.
- 1986
- Cézanne, Isetan Museum of Art, 18 September 1986 - 7 October 1986, The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, 10 Octber 1986-9 November 1986, The Aichi Prefectural Art Gallery, 15 November 1986-4 December 1986, cat. no. 21, col. repr. Exhibited only at Kobe & Nagoya
- 1987
- Exposition Paul Cézanne : affinité entre son oeuvre et le groupe Shirakaba , Musée Kiyoharu Shirakaba, 12 May 1987 - 28 June 1987, cat. no. 10, col. rep.
- 1989
- The French Modern Painting, from the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, Miyakonojo City Museum, 15 April 1989 - 14 May 1989, cat. no. 10, col. repr.
- 1996
- The Crossing Visions: European and Modern Japanese Art from the Collections of The National Museum of Western Art & The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, 20 July 1996 - 8 September 1996, cat. no. 22
- 2008
- Homage to Cezanne : his influence on the development of twentieth century painting, Yokohama Museum of Art, 15 November 2008 - 25 January 2009, cat. no. 75, col. repr.
- 2012
- Cézanne. Paris-Provence, The National Art Center, Tokyo, 28 March 2012 - 11 June 2012, cat. no. 37, col. repr.
- 2024
- Does the Future Sleep Here?: Revisiting the Museum's Response to Contemporary Art after 65 Years, National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 12 March 2024 - 12 May 2024
Bibliography
- 1936
- Venturi, Lionello. Cézanne: son art, son œuvre. vol. 1, Paris, 1936, p.155, no. 414, repr.
- 1956
- Gowing, Lawrence. Notes on the development of Cézanne. The Burlington Magazine. vol. 98, no. 639, June 1956, pp. 185-192.
- 1970
- Gatto, Alfonso; Orienti, Sandra. L'opera completa di Cézanne. Milano, Rizzoli, 1970, p. 103, no. 378, repr.
- 1979
- The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo: Catalogue of paintings. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, 1979, no. 37, repr.
- 1980
- Annual Bulletin of the National Museum of Western Art. No. 13 (1978), 1980, Watanabe, Yasuko. New Acquisitions (Painting). pp. 18-19, New Acquisitions (Catalogue). pp. 26-27, repr.
- 1984
- Paul Cézanne (exh. cat.). Madrid, Museo Español de Arte Contemporáneo, [1984], pp. 116-117, cat. no. 25, col. repr.
- 1986
- Cézanne (exh. cat.). The Tokyo Shimbun, ed. [Tokyo], The Tokyo Shimbun, 1986, pp. 52-53, cat. no. 21, col. repr.
- 1987
- Exposition Paul Cézanne: Affinité entre son oeuvre et le groupe Shirakaba (exh.cat.). Yoshii, Chozo, eds. Nagasakacho, Musée Kiyoharu Shirakaba, 1987, cat. no. 10, col. repr.
- 1992
- The French Modern Art, from The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo (exh. cat.). The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, ed. Okinawa, Urasoe Art Museum, 1992, p.20, cat. no. 10, col. repr
- 1996
- Rewald, John. The paintings of Paul Cézanne: a catalogue raisonné. vol. 1, New York, 1996, p. 373, no. 552.
- 2006
- Masterpieces of The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art; Tokyo, The Western Art Foundation, 2006 (Japanese, preface in Japanese and English), no. 89, col. repr.
- 2008
- Homage to Cezanne: his influence on the development of twentieth century painting(exh. cat.). Yokohama Museum of Art; Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art; Nippon Television Network Corporation, eds. [Yokohama], Yokohama Museum of Art; [Tokyo], Nippon Television Network Corporation, 2008 , cat. no. 75, col. repr.
- 2009
- Masterpieces of The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art; Tokyo, The Western Art Foundation, 2009, no. 89, col. repr.
- 2012
- Cézanne.: Paris-Provence(exh. cat.). [Tokyo], Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc., c2012, cat. no. 37, col. repr.
- 2013
- Masterpieces: The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. Tokyo, The Western Art Foundation, 2013 (Japanese, preface in Japanese and English), no. 96, col. repr.
- 2014
- Cézanne: site, non-site(exh. cat.). Madrid, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, c2014, cat. no. 21, col. repr.
- 2024
- Does the Future Sleep Here?: Revisiting the Museum's Response to Contemporary Art after 65 Years (exh. cat.). Shinfuji, Atsushi; Mochizuki, Kaoru, eds. [Tokyo], Culture Convenience Club; Bijutsu Shuppan-sha, 2024, pp. 58-59, 302, col. repr.