Painting Apples like Paul Cézanne

For this activity you will need: 

• Red, yellow, and green apples (real ones to look at!)
• Pencils
• Watercolor or tempera paints
• Thick brushes
• White paper or canvas boards
• A cloth or tablecloth for the apples to sit on

Share Information about Cézanne with Your Students

Paul Cézanne (sounds like “pol say-ZAHN”) was a French painter who lived from 1839 to 1906. He grew up in the sunny south of France, in a town called Aix-en-Provence. Cézanne painted landscapes, people, and still lifes (arrangements of objects like fruit and dishes). He selected apples as his subject of so many paintings  that people called him, “the painter of apples!” He once said he wanted to, “astonish Paris with an apple.” What made his work special was how he painted. Instead of making things look exactly like photographs, he used blocks of color and showed objects from different angles at the same time. He wanted to show how things really felt to look at, not just how they appeared. His apple paintings have visible brushstrokes and bright patches of color that made them feel solid and real.

Share some of Cézanne’s apple still life paintings with the class. Here are some examples of paintings you can show: Cezane’s “Apples” and “The Basket of Apples” and “Still Life with Apples.”

Set Up Your Still Life

Arrange 3-5 apples on a tablecloth. Turn them in different ways so students can see their interesting shapes.

Instruct students to take some time to look at the set up. Ask them to observe the simple shapes, circles and ovals. Tell them to squint their eyes and look at the apples. Students should sketch the apples lightly with pencil first.

Once the pencil sketches are done, ask students to stop and look closely at the colors.

• What are all the different colors you notice?
• What happens when the light hits the apple skin?
• What happens if you move your head?
• Are there shadows? (Use a darker color to show shadows.) 

Now, start painting with colors! Tell students to have fun and take their time and enjoy the process of really seeing these apples in a new way!

Start or end this activity with a reading of Cézanne and the Apple Boy by Laurence Anholt.