The Three Skulls

"The Three Skulls," created by Paul Cézanne French, 1839-1906, between 1902 and 1906, exemplifies the artist’s late, intense exploration of structure and mortality. Although often classified broadly as a painting, this powerful, small-scale work is executed in watercolor combined with graphite on ivory wove paper. Cézanne’s technique here is highly characteristic of his mature style: the graphite establishes the foundational geometry and compositional anchors, while the translucent washes of watercolor define volume and light, intentionally leaving significant areas of the paper bare to function as sharp highlights.

Skulls were a recurring motif in the artist's final years, serving as solemn vanitas or memento mori reminders. Cézanne frequently studied these anatomical forms in isolation, often contrasting their stark, ivory surfaces with vibrant drapery or natural elements. Unlike traditional academic studies, the focus of The Three Skulls is not on morbid realism but on the analytical deconstruction of shape. Cézanne uses the rigid bone structure to investigate pure form and spatial relationships, furthering the Post-Impressionist movement's focus on geometric essentials in France. This analytical rigor became fundamentally important for the subsequent development of early modern Cubism.

This piece, created toward the end of his life, demonstrates the deep intensity and structural mastery Cézanne achieved even in seemingly preparatory works on paper. It remains a critical example of his final output and is housed within the esteemed collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Interest in this painting, and high-quality prints reflecting Cézanne’s subtle technique, continues to rise as the masterwork approaches public domain availability.