Jas de Bouffan, the Pool

Jas de Bouffan, the Pool by Paul Cezanne is a painting from the late 19th century. It was painted in 1878 and the portrait was an oil-on-canvas. The painting shows the pool of Jas de Bouffan, the estate owned by the artist’s father.

Cézanne loved the house and grounds. He painted various places on the estate. It’s a vivid landscape painting, rich in detail and colour, in which the artist conveys a lifelike image of the pool. The pool, like a large mirror, reflects its surroundings. No human figures are seen in the painting. Nevertheless, it is a memorable artwork, full of sunshine and colour. It’s an attractive painting which makes you feel happy and positive. It has such a tranquil feeling that it’s really difficult to believe that its painter had a lifelong struggle with depression.

If any painting can change one’s mood for the better, it’s this one. The painter created more than one painting in this estate owned by his family and it’s evident that he was very attached to it. It inspired his creative skills for certain, as quite a few of Cézanne’s paintings are of different locations on the estate. It was more than a family home for him. It was obviously a source of tranquillity, comfort and inspiration. Cézanne is above all known for the intensity of his paintings. This one is certainly intense. It is now housed in the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Russia.

Paul Cézanne was born in 1839 and died aged in 1906. The 19th century was a time of considerable growth in art. The Impressionist school of art developed and Cézanne was highly influenced by it. During 1870 to 1878, Cézanne’s paintings show the influence of the impressionist school. Cézanne was to break free from the fetters of Impressionism, however, as Impressionism had broken free from the earlier painting traditions. He is considered to this day to be one of the pioneers of modern art, someone who literally broke with the restraints of the past, with his generous brushstrokes and vivid colours.

He is admired by some of the greatest artists of the modern age, such as Pablo Picasso. Cézanne wasn’t a man who enjoyed paintings in the studio. For him, the open-air was the best studio. He used his creative brushwork to create heavily textured paintings. Cézanne was noted for his landscapes, his still life paintings and later on in life, for his portraits. He left as his legacy a body of works which speaks loudly for his talent and creativity.