"Without doubt, Cezanne's favorite and most emblematic landscape subject was Mont Sainte-Victoire, a limestone mountain that dominates Aix and its surroundings.... An ongoing study of the known and the familiar was at the core of Cezanne's creative project. His landscapes, devoid of human presence, represent a decisive step away from the 19th-century romantic and allegorical painting. They also mark a shift from impressionism's ambition to capture the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere. Cezanne learnt about the geography and geology of the mountain ridge from his childhood friend, naturalist Antoine-Fortuné Marion (1846-1900). This knowledge, together with his methodical observation of the mountain, enabled Cezanne to create a new sort of landscape that deeply engaged with the terrain of his homeland. Instead of capturing a passing moment, Cezanne strived to convey a geological embodiment of timelessness."
Montagne Sainte-Victoire, 1905-6.
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