Who painted The Basket of Apples?

The Basket of Apples was painted by Paul Cezanne in 1897.

Where can I see The Basket of Apples?

The Basket of Apples is held by Art Institute of Chicago.

What movement is The Basket of Apples?

The Basket of Apples is associated with Post-Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of The Basket of Apples?

Museum-quality prints of The Basket of Apples are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

The Basket of Apples

Paul Cezanne , 1897

The Basket of Apples is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Paul Cezanne. It dates from 1897 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1893, Paul Cézanne’s oil work titled *The Basket of Apples* presents a modest tabletop arrangement. A woven basket brims with green apples and oranges, while a white cloth drapes over peaches and additional apples. A plate of bread, a dark bottle, and a small fruit bowl complete the composition, set against a pale blue backdrop.

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts ordinary kitchen items, yet Cézanne arranges them to challenge conventional perception. By juxtaposing the basket, cloth, and assorted fruit, he invites viewers to consider the relationships between forms, emphasizing the tension between order and the natural irregularities of everyday objects.

Technique & Style

Cézanne employs thick, visible brushstrokes that give the fruit a tactile, impasto surface. Colors are rendered in vivid contrasts, with greens and oranges standing out sharply against the muted background. The spatial construction is deliberately distorted, offering several viewpoints within a single plane, a hallmark of his analytical approach to form.

History & Provenance

The work entered the Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection, now housed at the Art Institute of Chicago. It has remained in this public collection since its acquisition, providing scholars and visitors continuous access to Cézanne’s late‑period still‑life experiments.

Legacy

Cézanne’s manipulation of perspective and emphasis on structural form in *The Basket of Apples* prefigured later avant‑garde movements. His departure from strict naturalism informed the bold color fields of Fauvism and the fragmented planes that defined early Cubist practice.