Cézanne and American Modernism

It is widely known that Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) deeply influenced Cubism and the direction of 20th-century art. However, relatively little comprehensive research has considered the specific impact of Cézanne on the work of key American artists. The Montclair Art Museum, in collaboration with the Baltimore Museum of Art, will present the first exhibition to examine Cézanne's profound influence upon the development of American modernism in this country and abroad. Cézanne and American Modernism will begin with an intimate display of 10-15 key paintings and works on paper by Cézanne.

This installation will recreate, in part, important exhibitions in which his work was introduced to American artists -- at Alfred Stieglitz's renowned Gallery 291 in 1910 and 1911, the Armory Show of 1913, the Montross Gallery in 1916, and at museums, including the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1920, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1921, and the Museum of Modern Art in 1929. Each piece, including works owned by Leo and Gertrude Stein, will be selected for its relevance to the American artists whose work was changed by exposure to Cézanne's innovative approach to painting. This presentation will include copies of related books, portfolios, and exhibition catalogues of this era, materials that were in many cases owned by and certainly influenced American artists.