Paul Cezanne (January 19, 1839 – October 22, 1906)

                                                                                                              

Self-Portrait Before a Pink Background

1875-1877

Cézanne, along with van Gogh and Gauguin, ranks as one of the greatest Post-Impressionists. At times he's also cited as the greatest influence on Picasso and Matisse: various sources claim Picasso or Matisse said, "Cézanne is the father of us all;" myth or not, you need only look at those two artist's works to see Cézanne influence strongly resonating. Of all his works, I often prefer his still-lifes, which seem to come wrapped in all sorts of emotions. The still life hanging in the center of this post is, to me, one of the darkest and most melancholy paintings I've ever beheld. 

The House of Père Lacroix in Auvers

1873

Still-Life

1866

Afternoon in Naples

1872-1875

Lake Annecy

1896