Mardi Gras

C�zanne ensured that his painting suggest space without destroying the unity of the surface by making use of the knowledge that cold colours, such as blue and green, appear to recede, and warm colours - red, orange, yellow - seem to stand out from the surface.

C�zanne’s son Paul, and Paul’s friend Louis Guillaume, posed for these figures from the Italian Commedia dell’arte, an unusual motif for the artist. Louis reportedly fainted during one sitting because C�zanne insisted that he should not move.